Madison Talks to Statues
by Rosmarinus
Summary: COMPLETE. What happens when Horatio agrees to babysit his niece for a entire week? Madison has a way of changing how he sees the world. Uncle Horatio
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer:_ _My best friend is a lawyer and says I need to tell you that Horatio and the members of his team and all references to events in CSI: Miami are not mine, no matter how much I want Horatio to be mine. I am making no profit on this (see the sad state of my students loans and you'll believe me) and certainly no copyright infringement is intended. Additionally, I have no claim on the song "Delaney Talks to Statues" by Jimmy Buffett, but it did serve as the inspiration for this fic._

_Setting: This takes place during the summer before Madison goes to kindergarten and has recovered from her illness. Also, the relationship among the team members is healthy and not that disorganized sadness we were left with at the end of the third season._

_**Madison Talks to Statues**_

"Hi, Horatio," Suzie said over the telephone.

Horatio sat back in his office chair, a worried crease forming above his eyebrows. "Suzie," he greeted. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh, sure, it's fine," she told him. "You've done so much, and I hate to ask you for another favor –"

Horatio smiled to himself. He had come to learn Suzie's tones of voice; this was the "I'm not in trouble but I need a little help" tone that held more apology than worry.

"You're family," he said. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, the hotel is expanding and I'm getting promoted," she said quickly. "But I need to go to a week's training in Washington, D.C. I've already asked my regular babysitter, but she can't take Madison for that long and I can't bring her with me."

Horatio chuckled. Only Suzie would find a promotion to be a crisis. "Suzie, it would be my pleasure to watch Madison for you."

"Really, Horatio?" she asked, sounding surprised and relieved at the same time. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Madison is my niece," he reminded Suzie. "I don't mind."

"Oh, Horatio, you're wonderful," Suzie said happily. "Can I bring her over on Sunday? I know you have to work, so she can still go to daycare at the hotel during the day. And I'll be back next Saturday."

"That would be fine," Horatio said, checking his calendar. Luckily, the next week didn't seem to have anything too important listed. He hoped they could get by without a major case occurring. "Now, tell me about this promotion."

_MttS_

Sunday afternoon arrived with a little red-haired girl clutching a worn stuffed bunny rabbit. She looked up at her uncle with big blue eyes and freckles. Suzie and Horatio discussed contact numbers and schedules while Madison crept through Horatio's patio home, peeking into rooms and then out on the lanai.

"The daycare opens at seven, but I usually get her there around eight," Suzie was saying. "Madison should be in bed by eight o'clock. And don't worry if all she wants to eat is macaroni and cheese."

Horatio smiled, glancing down for a moment. "Suzie, we will be fine. I used to watch Ray Jr. for Yelina and –" he cut himself off, smile gone.

"And Raymond," Suzie finished. Horatio looked up at the young woman who had once been his brother's lover. "You can say his name, Horatio."

Horatio nodded. "Madison and I will have a good time," he continued, unsure how to talk about Raymond with Suzie. "You, you go to your training. Don't worry about us."

Suzie shouldered her carry bag and bobbed her. "Okay." She remembered something. "Oh, and her bath time is seven-thirty, right before bed. It helps to settle her down for the night."

_Bath time?_ Horatio thought. Suzie continued, "You need to watch her and help her in and out of the tub."

"She, uhm, she needs help?" he found himself asking.

Suzie smiled, amused by his sudden discomfort. "She's five, Horatio. You can't leave her alone in the tub."

"Right," he said. "Of course." He tried to look nonchalant. "Not a problem."

Suzie stood on her toes to look past Horatio. "Madison," she called, "come say bye-bye to Mommy."

Madison ran across the livingroom as Suzie knelt down. She threw her arms around her mother, still clinging to the bunny. Suzie closed her eyes and kissed the top of her daughter's head. Horatio watched mother and child, hands on his hips. By some twist, these two were his little family, he thought. He knew he wanted good things for them; especially Madison who needed him as no child ever had.

"I love you, baby girl," Suzie said, untangling herself from the five-year-old and tapping her on the nose. "You be good for your uncle, okay."

Madison looked up at her with wide, intense eyes, so like Raymond's, Horatio thought. "Yes, Mommy." She looked from Suzie to Horatio and smiled.

As Suzie left Horatio said to Madison, "You can wave from the front window." So they stood at the window and Madison waved as her mother drove away. She looked up at Horatio and smiled.

"You're tall," she told him. "Really tall."

Horatio looked down at Madison. "Yes, I am," he said. "So, Madison, what do you want to do this afternoon?"

Madison's face lit in a grin. "Swimming!" she said. "Can I go swimming in your pool?"

"Uhm," Horatio thought, glancing through the glass doors at the pool on the lanai. "Yes," he said, "did you bring a swimming suit and uhm –" he could picture the inflatable arm bands for children, but couldn't think of the name. He motioned above his arm, hoping she'd understand. "Something to help you – uhm – swim in deep water?"

Madison watched him and shook her head 'no' looking crestfallen. She held her bunny limply.

Horatio smiled at her. "That's alright," he told her. He leaned down to her. "That just means we have to go shopping first."

Madison's grin returned and she hopped up and down. Horatio took his keys from the peg by the door and held it open for Madison. She waited by the car door for him to unlock the doors and help her to climb in the back seat and buckled her in. When he leaned over to snap the buckle, she kissed his cheek.

The kiss caught him off-guard. He paused and tilted his head, studying the child. "And, and what was that for?"

"Because I like you," she said.

Horatio nodded and smiled in return. "Well, that's good," he told her. "Because I like you too."

Madison giggled while he went to the driver's side and started the car.

_MttS_

At Wal-Mart, Horatio leaned from the clerk the arm bands for swimming were called "floaties" and that Madison really needed an inflatable dolphin. Also, bubbles seemed like fun and that they would be having hot dogs and macaroni and cheese for dinner. He thanked two women when they commented on "what a beautiful little girl" he had.

Back home, he sat on the lanai while Madison yelled "watch me!" attempting to do cannonballs into the pool. The floaties kept her from ducking too far under the surface while she managed to splash water all over the white deck. He listened while she talked to the plastic dolphin; it seemed the two of them were on an adventure to find gold on a sunken ship.

He gave up trying to read the case file he had brought home and watched her play. Madison chattered to herself, paddling from one of the pool to the other. When he checked his watch, Horatio was surprised to find it was almost six o'clock.

"Madison," he said, "time to dry off. We're going to have dinner."

"Can Dolphin eat with us?" Madison asked, paddling toward the steps in the shallow end of the pool. She was pulling the plastic toy with her across the water. Horatio met her at the edge with an oversized beach towel and wrapped her up as soon as she stepped from the water, still holding the dolphin's fin.

"Uhm –" Horatio started but Madison was too quick and ran across the lanai, still in the towel, and plunked the dolphin down in one of the chairs at the outdoor table. Horatio watched her. "Well, I guess so."

She beamed at him.

"Go dry off and change into your clothes," Horatio instructed. "I'm going to start dinner."

"Okay." With that, Madison dropped the towel and climbed through the sliding door.

Horatio closed the door after her and went into the kitchen. Shaking his head, he listened to Madison continued to talk to herself – or in this case, her bunny – while he read the back of the Kraft macaroni and cheese box. He took out the packet of hot dogs and sliced them to add to the boiling macaroni. While that was simmering, he took out bowls and tableware to set the dinner table for Madison and himself – and dolphin.

Madison returned, dressed in shorts and a little t-shirt that said "Princess" on it. She followed him around the kitchen while he took milk, butter and cheese from the fridge. While he was mixing the macaroni and cheese, she dragged a chair across the floor to climb up and watch.

"Do you like macaroni and cheese, Uncle Horatio?" she asked, leaning on the counter.

"I do," he told her with a smile.

She continued to watch and frowned as he added the extra shredded cheese. "That's not how Mommy makes it," she scolded him.

Horatio tilted his head with a glance toward her. "I know. But this, this is special macaroni and cheese." He added a dash of onion powder and some pepper. "Only members of the Caine family know how to make it this way."

Madison perked up. "Who's the Caine family?" she asked.

Horatio spooned servings into their bowls and helped Madison step down from the chair to take her dish. "We are. You and me."

"Is Mommy?" Madison asked. Horatio opened the door for her to go outside. Madison set her dish down. Horatio put his at his place and pulled the chair out for the little girl.

"Mommy," Horatio started, thinking how to explain that. "Well, yes, Mommy is, too."

Madison leaned both elbows on the table. "Doesn't Dolphin get a bowl?" she asked.

Horatio looked at the plastic pool toy staring at him from across the table. It had a big painted grin. Madison was frowning in concern.

"Well, I think dolphin wouldn't like macaroni and cheese," Horatio said. "Dolphins like fish and we don't have any fish tonight."

"Oh." Madison absorbed this. Horatio picked up his fork. Madison watched him. "Aren't we going to say the thing before we eat?"

"The thing?" Horatio asked, trying to figure out what she was referring to. Madison nodded emphatically.

"The thing," she said. "Mommy says this thing before we eat. 'Bleashus O lord an – an –"

Horatio understood. He took Madison's hand. "You're right. We need to say the thing before we eat." He gently squeezed her hand and said the grace before meals his mother had taught him and Raymond as boys. "Bless us, Oh Lord, and these, thy gifts, which we are about to receive –"

_MttS_

Bath. Horatio checked his watch again. It was almost seven-thirty and his niece needed her bath. Madison was busy stalking geckos across the lanai screen, all the while telling them how nice she was and how much they would like to live in the plastic container he had given her.

His forehead creased. He had never given a little girl a bath before and wasn't quite sure how to go about doing that. He had bathed Ray Jr. as toddler but Madison was beyond that stage of life.

He briefly considered calling Alexx but decided he'd rather save that for something a bit more important than a bath. Horatio checked his watch again. Seven-thirty-five. He took a deep breath.

"Madison," he called. "Time for your bath and bed."

Madison was crouched by the corner of the screen, chattering happily to a frozen gecko. She looked over her shoulder. "I don't wanna."

Horatio considered letting her have her way, but then remembered he was the adult in the matter. "Yes, Madison," he said. "It's time."

She stood up and put her hands on her hips, looking as defiant as a five-year-old could. Horatio faced her in return, hands also on his hips, looking over the tops of his sunglasses.

Madison stuck out her bottom lip and dragged her feet inside the house. Horatio followed, and went into the bathroom while she ducked in the guest room – Madison's bedroom for the week – to take off her clothes. While she did that, Horatio found a soft bath towel for her and hunted through his cabinets for bubble bath left by a former girlfriend. He filled the tub, checking the temperature to make sure it wouldn't burn her. The bubbles cover the water nicely.

"Do I have to, Uncle Horatio?" Madison pleaded. She had come in behind him, carrying her pink pajamas and underwear – and bunny.

Horatio cleared his throat, seeing the naked child. He turned away and pretended to be studying the shampoo bottle. "Yes, Madison," he told her. "Now, hop in the tub."

Madison dropped her pajamas on the floor and took his hand to climb in the tub. She giggled as the bubbles tickled at her chin. Horatio grabbed bunny before he could be dunked in the bath, too.

Horatio handed Madison a washcloth and a bar of soap. "Now suds up, sweetheart," he told her.

Madison pursed her lips together and studied the cloth and soap. She rubbed the washcloth against the soap, which then jumped from her hand and splashed into the tub. Bubbles splashed out and landed on Horatio's shirt. Madison giggled.

"Alright," Horatio said. "Why – uhm – why don't you wash up and I'll – I'll just – How about I read to you?"

"Okay," Madison said. She scrubbed at her arms.

"Right." Horatio looked around the bathroom. Nothing to read. He turned back to Madison. "Stay right there," he ordered her.

She blew a handful of bubbles at him and giggled. Horatio brushed them away and ducked out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. In her bookbag, he found a picture book Suzie had packed. Horatio hurried back to the bath.

A layer of bubbles covered the water. No sign of Madison.

Panic hit him full in the chest. Horatio lunged at the bathtub, thrusting both arms under the water. He frantically scoured the bottom of the tub.

There was giggling from behind Horatio. Soaked from the waist up, he turned around to see Madison dripping in the doorway, holding her dolphin. Horatio hung his head.

"Madison," Horatio said. He didn't even bother to ask where she had gone. "Back in the tub."

"Dolphin, too?" she asked innocently.

Horatio stood up and took the two steps to her, picking Madison up under her arms. He set her back in the water. "Dolphin, too," he said.

While she splashed in the bubbled, Horatio sat on the closed toilet seat, drying his arms with a hand towel. He glanced at the book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

"Mommy washes my hair for me," Madison pointed out.

Horatio surveyed the stringy red tresses on her head. He thought about that challenge for a moment and then saw the drinking cup by the sink.

"We can do that," he said, picking up the cup. He scooped water from the tub and poured it over her head before putting shampoo in Madison's hair. She giggled some more and told the dolphin all about her teacher, Mrs. Marcy, while he washed her hair.

Bath finished, Horatio helped Madison out and quickly wrapped her in the towel. "Madison," he said, handing her back her pajamas, "why don't you get dressed in your room and tell me when you're ready?"

"Okay," she said, bobbing her head once more. Since he was on his knees and at her height, she pecked his cheek and skipped out of the bathroom.

The spot she kissed felt warm and he gingerly touched his cheek. His shirt was soaked, his knees were wet and there was water all over the floor.

_MttS_

Horatio sat on the edge of Madison's bed, the last light of the day filtering through the window blinds. She lay back on the pillow, wet hair tied in a braid, hugging bunny. Dolphin sat at attention beside the door.

"Alright," he said, opening the picture book. "If you give a mouse a cookie," he turned the page, making sure she could see the pictures, "he's going to ask for a glass of milk."

Madison watched him intently with her big blue eyes. Every so often she would yawn. Horatio continued to read until her breath slowed and she drifted to sleep.

Horatio closed the book and placed it by the bedside. He watched her sleep for a moment before lightly kissing her forehead.

"Sleep well, Madison," he whispered, tucking bunny in as well. "I like you, too."


	2. Monday

_Disclaimer: Horatio still is not mine. However, if you read further, you'll see that I'm trying to change that._

Horatio opened his eyes to the wailing alarm. He glanced at his clock as if it was the source, but it read 5:50 a.m. – ten minutes before it should be ringing.

As he processed the time, Horatio recognized the sound for what it was: the house alarm.

He was out of bed and unlocking the top dress drawer for his service pistol in one motion. Madison was in his care and someone had set off the alarm. A hundred terrified thoughts of burglars, kidnaps and revenge-seekers shot through his mind. He would die before he let someone take his niece and he would kill whoever might do so.

Horatio sidled to the bedroom door and looked around the corner. The alarm continued to sound. If it wasn't shut off in another couple of minutes, uniformed officers would be at his house for a welfare check. Seeing no one, he spun around the doorframe, arms extended, hammer cocked.

No one in the main room or in the kitchen from his vantage point. Keep the pistol ready, he ran across the room to Madison's bedroom, clearing the kitchen and laundry room on the way. No one.

The door to her room, however, was open.

Silently cursing, Horatio stood around the edge of the door and nudge it opening, giving himself a view of her empty bed. The ringing alarm became his heightening pulse. He opened the door fully, clearing the room and still not finding Madison.

Horatio took a deep breath. There was still his home office and the lanai to clear. He checked the bathroom, scanned the office and headed through the kitchen to the open lanai door. His lip curled, thinking that somehow the bastard had gotten in through there.

He sidled along the wall until he could look out the window. From that direction, no one. Horatio edged past the sliding glass door as the started its slow rise in the east. He scanned the lanai, his thoughts becoming more murderous. The alarm was harder to hear as he stepped out on the lanai. There was a voice coming from just past the screen door, by the pool heater.

Then he heard what the voice was singing.

"Little lizards are so much fun," Madison sang, "they like to run and run." She paused and then said, "Hi, little lizard. I know you want to live with Uncle Horatio and me. And we can play and you can take a nap in the window and swim with me and Dolphin."

Horatio lowered his gun slightly and opened the screen door, walking around the heater box. Madison was crouched on the ground in her nightgown, plastic tub raised, about to snag a gecko.

With careful eyes, Horatio scanned the side of the house and behind them. They were fully alone. He released the trigger on his gun and thumbed the safety back on. He held it behind his back so she wouldn't see it.

"Madison," he said sharply.

Madison looked up at him, clearly surprised. The gecko took that opportunity to dart away from a future in a plastic butter tub.

"Oh!" she said, dismayed, sitting down on the grass. "He ran away!"

Horatio took a second deep breath and rubbed his forehead with his free hand. "Madison," he said again. "What are you doing out of the house?"

"Looking for geckos," she told him in that tone children use when they know it should be obvious to grown-ups what they're doing. "I wanted to take one to school with me."

"Of course you are," Horatio answered her. "Back in the house, now. We'll talk about this after you get dressed."

Madison stood up, her shoulders slumped in defeat. He stepped aside to let her through the screen door.

"Lt. Caine?" a voice called. "Are you out here?'

A uniformed officer rounded the corner of the house, gun drawn as Horatio's had been.

The alarm. Horatio's back-up had arrived.

Madison stopped to turn and see the officer approach. From the other side of the house, his partner advanced toward the lanai. Madison's eyes grew larger to see guns.

"Here, officer," Horatio responded. "My niece set off the alarm while looking for geckos."

The officer lowered his gun, but kept it in sight. "And everything is alright?" he asked.

"Yes," Horatio told him.

The officer nodded toward him. His partner entered the lanai, gun also lowered but still ready. "Do you mind setting down your weapon, sir?" the officer asked.

"One moment," he said and stepped back on the lanai while they watched. He put his pistol on the table and showed his empty hands.

The other officer holstered his gun and walked to Madison, kneeling beside her. "Are you alright, little girl?" he asked gently.

Madison held the butter tub close to her chest and nodded vigorously. Horatio allowed him to look her over to make sure she hadn't been harmed. He looked back to his partner and nodded. The first officer holstered his gun.

"I'll send a copy of the incident report to your office, sir," the officer said. "You might want to explain to her the importance of shutting off the alarm before going outside."

Horatio set his hands on his hips. He was dressed only in boxers and a t-shirt and was starting to feel ridiculous. "I will do that, officer. Thank you."

With a nod to his partner, the two uniform officers stepped out the lanai screen door and walked back around the house.

Madison looked up to her uncle. "Am I in trouble?"

Horatio watched the officers leave. "We'll talk about that after you're dressed, Madison."

_MttS_

Calleigh walked into the break room, her eyes bright and laughing. Horatio was fixing a cup pf coffee while listening to Eric explain his theory on a recent case.

"Horatio," Calleigh sang. "I heard a radio car responded to your house this morning for an entry alarm. Something about geckos?"

Horatio closed his eyes in pain. Eric turned to him, very interested.

"Are you having a problem with the geckos, H?" he asked. "Pretty talented if they're setting off alarms."

Horatio opened his eyes and continued to fix his coffee. Eric and Calleigh exchanged amused glances, waiting for the story.

"It was on the scanner this morning," Calleigh explained to Eric. "It was called back as 'gecko and entering.'"

"Really," Eric said, grinning. "So, that's like a, 10-51 'gecko on location'?"

"No, no," Calleigh replied. "A 10-38 and a half – suspicious gecko."

Horatio drank his coffee calmly and waited from them to finish. When they did, he simply said, "My niece is staying with me for the week and she opened the back door while the alarm was set."

"Your niece?" Eric asked, counting Horatio's family relations in his head.

"She likes the geckos," Horatio answered without elaboration.

Calleigh tried to cover her laugh with her hand. Her eyes continued to twinkle. Horatio sipped his coffee again.

"I'll – I'll be in my office," he told them. "Eric, follow that up and get back to me."

"Sure, H," Eric said as Horatio left. "I'll send the suspicious geckos your way, too, for questioning."

Horatio waved the back of hand his before walking around the corner. Eric and Calleigh started to laugh again.

_MttS_

Madison was waiting with the one of the teachers at her daycare when Horatio arrived to pick her up that evening. She was holding the teacher's hand and had her little backpack on when he walked through the doors at the hotel where Suzie worked. She was grinning and had a paper plate with a design made from macaroni in her other hand.

"Uncle Horatio!" she called happily. "Look what I made!"

Horatio found himself smiling in return. He took off his sunglass and bent on one knee to see her artwork better.

"That's lovely, Madison," he said. "Is it a gecko?"

The day at CSI had been filled with geckos, thanks to Eric and Calleigh.

"No," Madison drawled, shaking her head, "it's a dolphin. It's swimming in the ocean."

Horatio studied the macaroni. "I can see that." He stood back up and addressed the teacher. "I'm sorry I'm late. We, uhm, we had a break-through in a long-term case."

The woman frowned but nodded. "Of course, Mr. Caine. Since you don't normally pick up Madison, I need to ask you to sign and show me identification."

Horatio produced his MDPD identification card and his badge for the teacher. She compared the picture to him, something Horatio was unaccustomed to having done to him, and watched while he wrote his name in the ledger.

"With so many divorced parents in custody battles, you can't be too careful," she said by way of apology.

Horatio took Madison's hand. "I know," he said, putting the sunglasses back on. "I see it too often."

Madison chattered about her day, about having macaroni and cheese for lunch, about Jimmy who pulled her hair, about Candy who shared the same rug with her at nap time and about their new teacher, Miss Margaret, who was teaching them sign language.

Horatio buckled Madison into the backseat as she continued chattering.

"Can we have fish for dinner so Dolphin can eat with us?" she asked as he pulled the car from the parking lot.

_Dinner. Oh_. Horatio hadn't made any plans for dinner. He glanced behind him at Madison, who was sitting up as high as she could to look out the car window. He went through what was in his refrigerator at home, none of which included fish of any kind. It was also just past six o'clock, which meant by the time he went shopping, cooked and they ate, it would be past bath time and up to bedtime.

Horatio groaned inwardly. _Bath time_. He didn't want to think about it right then.

"How about – how about we go out for dinner?" Horatio suggested. "We could go to a nice restaurant for dinner. Would you like that?"

Madison bounced in her seat. "Yeah!" she cheered. "Can we go to Checkers?"

Checkers was not Horatio's idea of a dinner restaurant. Anything that served greasy hamburgers through a window with outside tables didn't approach a restaurant in his mind. He tried to think of someplace along the way that would appeal to a five-year-old.

"Do you like pizza?" he asked at last. "How does pizza sound tonight?"

More bouncing. "Can I have pepperoni on it but no broccoli? Mommy always gets it with broccoli and makes me eat it."

Horatio grimaced at the thought of broccoli on pizza. "No broccoli, but with pepperoni," he promised.

"Yeah!" Madison cheered again. "I like pizza. We had pizza for lunch at school last week, but it weird pizza made on slices of bread. Billy said it was good but I think Billy is strange. He ate a crayon one time."

Horatio glanced back in his mirror again while Madison went on about Billy and all the things he does that worries their teachers. When he had first met her, just over a year ago, he had thought she was a shy child. The he learned she was just quiet and shy around strangers.

They arrived at Anthony's on Kendall Avenue, not far from his house, at six-thirty. Madison hadn't seemed to take a breath in her chattering when he opened the door to help her out of the car. She happily took his hand as they walked across the parking lot.

The host greeted them with a smile. "How many for dinner?" she asked.

Horatio tipped his head towards his niece. "Two, please."

They followed her to a small table near a side window. The waitress took their drink orders (a chocolate milk and diet Coke) and left a menu with Horatio.

"Uncle Horatio?" Madison asked. Her expression had become darling.

Horatio smiled. "Yes?"

"Can we get a kitty?" she asked, batting her eyelashes.

Horatio paused, glancing from the little girl to the menu. "Madison, you're only stay with me for the week," he said. "We can't get a cat."

"But I want one," she said, still trying to look cute.

He lowered the menu a little to better see her. "Madison, I'm sorry, but I'm not getting you a cat."

She folded her arms and pouted. "But Kimmy has one."

Horatio had no idea who Kimmy was, nor did he much care. He set the menu down. "That may be, but Kimmy isn't staying with us for a week." He tried another tactic. "Have you asked your Mommy for a kitty?"

Some part of Horatio's brain was amazed that he was using the words "Mommy" and "kitty" in a sentence. He watched Madison twirl her braid. The action was so dearly familiar and hard to place. His own mother had twirled her hair when she was thinking.

"No," she admitted. "I didn't want one until Kimmy started telling me about her's."

"Well," he was no longer concerned this was a deep-seated desire. "Tell you what. I'll ask my friend Dr. Woods if we can stop by sometime this week and visit with her kitty."

"Yeah!" Madison cheered back up.

The waitress returned for their order – two side salads with medium pizza, pepperoni and not broccoli. Their salads arrived and Madison played with her's, picking the olives out with her fingers to pop in her mouth and stabbing at the cherry tomato with her fork. She slurped down her chocolate milk before the pizza came and Horatio asked for a second for her.

The pizza was a hit. Madison ate happily, swinging her feet as she did. She ate a whole slice hungrily, then pulled the cheese off a second one to eat.

"Excuse," a woman said from behind Horatio. He turned to see a brunette in her thirties leaning toward him. She had a pleasant smile, a little shy, and her hair fell slightly forward. "I don't normally do this, but I just want to say your daughter is adorable. She looks just like you."

Madison slurped the reminder of her second glass of milk. Horatio glanced at her, seeing again the red hair and freckles that she shared more with him than Raymond.

"Thank you," Horatio said to the woman. "But she's my niece, not daughter."

The woman crouched down so she was eye level with Horatio. "Really?" She tilted her head toward Madison. "I wouldn't have guessed. You're so good with her, I thought you were her dad."

Horatio chuckled in spite of himself. "You're not the first."

The woman offered her hand. "Katie DeMark," she introduced herself. "Maybe I'll see the two of you here again?"

"I – I don't know," he answered truthfully. He took her hand and noted her brown eyes were warm. "Horatio Caine. Uhm," he fumbled in his jacket pocket, taking out a small notebook and pen, "how about – how about I call you sometime – when we're going to have dinner here again?"

Katie's smile grew wider and she brushed back her hair. Horatio noted how she tucked it behind her ear. "Sure, Horatio." She took the pad and pen and jotted her phone number and an email address down. She handed them back and glanced over her shoulder. Two other women were waiting for her by the door. The taller one had her arms crossed and was studying the ceiling. The other was apparently trying not to laugh. "I've got to go, but it was good to meet you."

She shook his hand once more. "Yes," he said, "it was good to meet you too."

Katie stood up and went to her friends. The laughing one didn't try to hide it any longer and the taller one linked her arm through Katie's and drew her out of the restaurant.

"Oooooooh," Madison sang. "Uncle Horatio has a girlfriend."

Horatio turned back from the door to his grinning niece. "Eat your pizza, Madison," was all he said.

_MttS_

Horatio had just sent Madison to put on her nightgown when the telephone rang. She was chattering away to her bunny about school that day when he answered the portable phone and stepped on the lanai.

"Horatio," Suzie said, sounding breathless.

Horatio smiled to himself and sat at the table. "Suzie, how's the training?"

"Good, good." He could imagine her bobbing her head as she spoke on the phone. "It's really interesting. We have lecture for part of the day and practice for the other part." She took a breath. "How are you and Madison holding up?"

Horatio decided to omit the fact he was deliberately skipping Madison's bath that night. "We're doing well. I – I think she's having fun." He paused again. "I like having her here."

"Oh, good." Suzie sounded relieved. "I know she can be a handful."

"Would you like to talk with her?" Horatio asked as Madison appeared at the door. He leaned back to help her slide it open and passed her the telephone. "It's your mother."

"Mommy!" she squealed and took the handheld receiver. "Uh-huh. I'm being good. And guess what! Uncle Horatio has geckos. And Kimmy got a kitty for her birthday. And –"

Madison was off, dancing around Horatio's swimming pool, talking to her mother. He paid attention to make sure she didn't slip and fall in the pool, but shook his head fondly.

_MttS_

_A/N: Okay, Katie DeMark is a character of mine from elsewhere. I just borrowed her to give Horatio my phone number; the other two are CharlotteB and IceWolf ready to clobber me._


	3. Tuesday morning

_Disclaimer: Horatio hasn't called yet, so I am unable to make any claims of ownership to his character, nor that of any other CSI: Miami character or situation mentioned below. Also, while Iown a copy of Fun with the Family in Florida, I have no claim on its content or copyright. It was a Christmas gift from my very amused brother and his wife. I should also mention the same about If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, which is my favorite picture book. Since I'm not claiming anything, I'm also not claiming Checkers, but I love their hamburgers and really wish there was one in New York State._

MttS

_He watched as Speed pulled his gun out and motioned to the armed man crawling on the floor. Stepping up to his friend, Horatio raised his gun, shouting, "Miami-Dade Police! Put down your weapon!"_

_He heard the gunshots as the man fired. Horatio squeezed the trigger. And his gun clicked. He looked at the gun, squeezing again. Again it clicked. He heard Speed shout his name as the bullets from the assailant –_

Horatio sat up in his bed. His t-shirt was soaked and his could smell the tang of his own sweat. He waited as his heart began to slow to a more normal pace, taking deep breaths.

The same nightmare. He had been reliving the shooting in the jewelry store that killed Speed. But again, his was the gun that failed.

Horatio looked out his window, past the pool, to the moonlit lake beyond. Nearly a year later, Tim Speedle was still dead and he was still alive.

"Mmh." There was stirring in the bed beside him, catching his attention. Horatio turned back and looked down to see long red hair splayed across the pillow and a stuffed bunny in Madison's grasp. She was sound asleep and had briefly fretted when Horatio woke up.

Horatio watched her, surprised to find her sleeping next to him. He hadn't noticed when she climbed in bed. He tentatively reached out to brush the hair away from her flushed face. She was peaceful in her sleep, long red eyelashes against freckled cheeks.

Well, he couldn't let her stay. With a deep sigh, he slid from his side of the bed and walked around, gently lifting the sleeping child. She lay cradled in his arms, head against his shoulder, as he carried her back to her own room.

Once there, Horatio managed to set her on the bed, lightly drawing the sheet over her. Madison made a suckling sound and snuggled into the pillow with her stuffed bunny.

Horatio returned to his own room, comforted by her small presence. He missed Speed terribly – his best friend had been killed in front of him – but he was still alive. He fell asleep again, not with the empty ache that his nightmares usually brought, but with the thoughts of what it would be like to have a daughter.

_MttS_

Stuck to the door of his office with extra-durable duct tape was a large, green, stuffed gecko. Attached to the three-foot tropical lizard was an incident report for "a suspicious gecko" signed by Calleigh and Eric.

Horatio stared at the gecko for a minute, certain he heard Calleigh laughing from below the stairs to his office. He considered, for just a moment, shooting the thing, but decided that wouldn't get the best reaction in the crime lab. But then, he could send it down to Alexx for a gecko-topsy.

"Very nice," he finally said, loud enough for the conspirators to hear. "I love how the eyes are the exact same color as Calleigh's."

This time the giggling was joined by Eric's laugh. He opened the door and entered his office, leaving the gecko in place. He would probably take it home for Madison, but right then Horatio was mentally examining the possibility of stuffing it into one of Eric's wetsuits.

_MttS_

The Miami sun beat down as Horatio and his team finished processing the scene of a hit-and-run. The pedestrian was at the hospital while the driver hadn't made it very far before crashing into a palm tree. Ryan was with him now, administering a breathalyzer test. Calleigh and Eric were bantering while taking pictures and collecting shards of glass.

The cellphone at his hip rang. "Horatio," he said automatically on opening it.

"Mr. Caine?" a woman he didn't recognize asked.

Horatio frowned and looked at the caller ID on his phone. It was Madison's daycare center. "Yes," Horatio said. "Is something wrong?"

"Madison is complaining of a stomach ache," the woman told him. "She doesn't have a fever but she is flushed and listless. Is it possible for you to pick her up?"

Horatio checked his watch. It was just past eleven in the morning. He still had to finish the case he was on, so he would have to bring Madison back to CSI. He hoped she had some coloring books in her backpack.

"I'll be right there," he told the woman and closed up his phone. "Eric," he called. The younger man looked up from his place photographing tire tracks. "I have to go. See you back at CSI."

Eric nodded. "Alright, H." Calleigh glanced up but said nothing, concern appearing on her face.

Horatio went back to the Hummer and made his way through the city of Miami to Suzie's hotel. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel while waiting at the stop lights and was tempted to turn on the vehicle's flashing police lights.

Madison had been tired that morning. Instead of bouncing, she had dragged her feet a bit. "Do I have to go to school, Uncle Horatio?" she had asked. "Can't I stay home with you?"

"No, Madison," he had told her. "I have to go to work."

So she had gotten dressed and he had taken her to the daycare center, hoping she would perk up when she was with her little friends. Now he cursed under his breath, worried she was seriously ill and he had somehow missed it in his rush to get to CSI.

Horatio strode through the lobby doors and down the side hallway to the daycare center for employees and guests. The sound of playing children filled the hallway. A riot of color and hyperactivity met him when he opened the daycare center door.

Miss Margaret met him in the office, holding Madison's hand. She looked wilted and had little tear streaks down her cheeks.

"Uncle Horatio!" she said and ran to him. "I don't feel good."

Horatio found himself on one knee, taking her in his arms. She immediately buried her face in his shoulder. He picked her up and stood.

"That's what I heard," he told her. Turning back to the teacher, he asked to sign Madison out. The teacher held the clipboard for him to sign and then handed him Madison's bookbag.

He carried her out to the waiting Hummer. Madison's eyes grew bigger when he opened up the back door to buckle her in.

"This isn't your car," she told him.

Horatio fastened the seatbelt around her with a half smile. "No, it's not. It's what I drive for work though." He studied her for a moment. "Have you had lunch yet, Madison?"

She shook her head no. "That's alright," he said. "We'll take care of that in a little bit. I thought we'd go see my friend Dr. Woods first."

"Does she have her kitty?" Madison asked, brighten up.

"Uhm." Horatio shook his head. "Not in her office, she doesn't."

Madison looked crushed. "Oh. Okay."

Feeling bad that he had gotten her hopes up and worried that she could be having a relapse, Horatio started the engine and headed back to CSI and Alexx.

_MttS_

"Alexx."

Horatio's voice rang through the autopsy theater. Alexx looked from the patient body she had started to wash to see Horatio standing in the observation room window. He was clearly frowning and his arms were followed.

"Horatio," she greeted from below. "What can I do for you?"

"I – uhm – do you have a few minutes for another patient?" he asked. "My niece is here and she says she's not feeling well."

Alexx smiled, trying to be reassuring from the distance. Eric and Calleigh had already told her about the great gecko invasion. She also continued to be Horatio's confident when it came to his concerns for Madison's well-bring.

She covered the patient again with a sheet and took off her rubber gloves. "I'll meet you in my office, Horatio."

"Thank you," he said and disappeared from the window.

Alexx shook her head and headed to the small locker room just off the autopsy theater. On her way back to her office, she stopped at the candy machine for a bag of M&M's.

Madison sat in the chair in front of Alexx's desk, leafing through a picture book, while Horatio paced the small room behind her. Alexx noted the bright red hair, the exact same color as Horatio's, and the pale blue eyes she remembered Raymond Caine having.

"Hello, Miss Madison," she said, using the soothing mother's voice she used when her own kids weren't feeling well. "You uncle says you're not feeling well today."

Madison shook her head 'no.' She looked into Alexx's chocolate brown eyes and then down at the floor, suddenly shy.

Alexx crouched on the floor to better see her. Madison reflected Alexx's smile.

"What I'd like to, Madison, is give you a little check-up," Alexx told her. "Just to figure out what's making you feel icky today. Is that okay?"

Madison bobbed her head. "Do I have to have another shot?"

Horatio looked up, his eyes resting on Alexx.

"I don't know," Alexx said truthfully. "But tell you what: if you need a shot, I'll make sure you get a treat afterward."

Madison opened her eyes a little wider, the promise of a treat making the idea of a shot seem less bad.

Alexx went to her desk and opened the bottom drawer, taking her medical bag out. She took out the thermometer and an alcohol pad to clean it with. Horatio watched her intensely.

"Okay," she said, popping the thermometer in Madison's mouth. "Now sit there and let me get your temperature. Horatio," she caught his attention, "why don't you go get a drink while we girls do this medical stuff?"

Horatio frowned but said nothing after a look from Alexx. He nodded, kissed Madison on her head, and stepped out in the hall.

_MttS_

After ten minutes, Horatio was pacing. When fifteen minutes passed, he stood outside Alexx's door. If it was taking this long, maybe Madison really was experiencing a relapse. He had her doctors' phone numbers and decided he'd call Suzie on the way to the hospital. She might be able to cut her training short; until then he'd stay with Madison in the hospital. His stomach tightened further with his worries.

Madison seemed to have recovered but the doctors where guarded in their prognosis. They had told Suzie and Horatio that Madison was in remission and they would wait five years before calling her cured. Five years from now, she'd be 10 and in fifth grade. It seemed like a lifetime to come.

The door opened to the office. Alexx stood next to it, smiling, which he took as a good sign. Horatio entered without an invitation.

Madison munched happily on M&M's, swinging her feet under the chair.

"Madison, sugar, I need to talk with your uncle," Alexx told her. "Can you wait for us in the hall? There's a window at the end that you can look out."

"Okay," Madison said cheerfully. She finished her M&M's and skipped down the hall.

The adults watched her go, leaving the door open enough to see her. Horatio played with his sunglasses, afraid to look at his friend the doctor. "What's the bad news?" he asked.

Alexx leaned back on her desk, happy to share good news with a family member. "There isn't any," she told him. "You have a healthy little girl who's just had a bout of homesickness."

Horatio looked up. Relief flooded his features.

"She misses her mother," Alexx continued. "And she said one of the other children in her daycare was talking about how much fun she was having staying her father and then asked about Madison's dad."

"Oh." Horatio nodded. He and Suzie had explained gently one night that Madison had two "daddies" – one that she shared with Ray Jr. and the other the man she had known, who had to go away because he had done a bad thing.

(Suzie took the news gracefully when Horatio had quietly told her Bob was dead, having been killed in a government sting after receiving an unexpected parole. She asked Horatio not to tell her more, that Bob was part of her past and she just wanted to mourn him alone.)

"What are your plans for the rest of the week?" Alexx asked him.

Horatio thought for a moment. "We have the hit-and-run from this morning to wrap up," he recounted. "And some research on another case."

"Good," Alexx said firmly. "Nothing Calleigh can't handle. Here's my prescription for the both of you." She held up her hand to prevent the protest from Horatio. "Take the rest of the week off. Spend the next few days with Madison. She needs to know there is a man who loves her just like a father, that she is important and special."

"Alexx –" he tried to protest anyway.

"I'm serious, Horatio," she cut him off. "I'll write this out and hand it to the senior commander if I have to. You could use a few days off and Madison needs a few days with you."

Alexx crossed her arms, her posture very much one not to be argued with. Horatio stood a moment, trying to find an argument in return. Instead he dropped into the chair Madison had vacated.

"Fine," he said at last. "But what do I do with a five-year-old girl for three days? You've got kids, Alexx. Any ideas?"

Alexx held up her finger, as she had a thought. She went to the book shelf and took out a tourist book, Fun with the Family in Florida. Alexx handed him the book.

"One set of ideas for the greater Miami area," she announced. "Dennis got it for me last year as a reminder to get out of the office more often."

Horatio chuckled, thumbing through the paperback. "Hundreds of ideas for day trips with the kids," read the kicker at the bottom of the cover. He tapped the book with his knuckles. "Thanks, Alexx."

"Anytime, sugar," she told him. "Now finish up whatever it is you have to do today and take that baby on a couple field trips."

_MttS_

Madison skipped up the steps to Horatio's office and let out a squeal of delight. He had completely forgotten the stuffed gecko was still duct taped to his door.

"You have a gecko!" she said, darting to the door.

Horatio shook his head. "Apparently – apparently I have several," he said more to himself than her. Pulling the toy from the door, he handed it to her. "Would you like it?"

"Uh-huh," she said, taking it and squeezing it tightly. "Does he have a name?"

A mischievous smile flittered over his lips. "Yep, yep, he does. Eric."

"Eric the Gecko," Madison said, dancing into the office with her new gecko. While she talked to the stuffed gecko, Horatio made some phone calls and asked reception to let him know when Calleigh and Eric returned.

"Uncle Horatio." He looked up from his desk. Madison was kneeling on the chair across from him, leaning on the desk. "I'm hungry."

The clock on the wall read twelve-thirty. "You know what?" he asked her. "Why don't we go to Checkers?"

Madison cheered. Horatio smiled and put on his sunglasses, taking her hand. Seeing her happy and not sick again was worth going to Checkers in his book.

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews so far and I'm glad you like this! I'm hoping to update at least once more this weekend. The fic runs over the course of a week, although I'll need a little longer than that to finish this. So be patient and let me know what you think; the rest is on it's way._


	4. Tuesday afternoon

_For a full disclaimer, please see chapter one. In short, I'm still waiting on Horatio's phone call._

Madison was sprawled out on the floor of Horatio's office, Eric the Gecko next to her, coloring in the new coloring book he had picked up for her on the way back from lunch. She would occasionally stick her tongue out of the corner of her mouth as she considered what crayon to use next or she would absently pat "Eric" on his plush head.

"Uncle Horatio," she said at last, just as Calleigh knocked on the slightly open door and walked in, "I'm bored."

Horatio looked up from the file on his desk, nodded at Madison and said brightly, "Calleigh."

"Oh, no," she drawled, all too familiar with that particular tone of voice. She noted the little girl and the stuffed gecko on the floor. Calleigh knelt on one knee to get a closer look at her. "You must be Horatio's niece."

Madison nodded and grinned. "You're pretty," she told Calleigh.

Calleigh laughed. "Why, thank you," she said. "I think you're pretty, too."

Madison beamed happily.

Calleigh stood back up and took the seat across from Horatio. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes," Horatio said, glancing toward Madison, who was again coloring. "I'm – I'm taking the rest of the week off, at Alexx's suggestion." Calleigh raised an eyebrow and followed his gaze back to Madison. She nodded. "So, you'll be in charge of the lab until Monday." Horatio passed her the file, along with a list of needs. "I'm confident that you can see to things until I get back."

"Of course, Horatio," she said, looking over the file. "I can still reach you if something big comes up?"

"Yep," he told her. "Either at home or on my cellphone. I'm finishing a few things up here and plan to leave in an hour."

Calleigh closed the file. "Alright," she said. "Anything else you need?"

A playful smile graced Horatio's lips. "As a matter of fact, there is one thing," he told her. "It seems, it seems Madison is bored. And she's fond of geckos."

Calleigh looked confused, then she started to laugh again. "You like geckos, Madison?" she asked the little girl.

"Uh-huh," Madison said, patting the toy beside her. "I want to catch one and keep him for a pet, but they always run away from me."

Calleigh slid from her chair to sit on the floor next to Madison. "Well, you know who's good at catching geckos? My friend Eric is really good at it. In fact, the police academy spent a lot of time teaching him how to find little things like geckos."

"Really?" Madison squealed happily.

"Really," Calleigh assured her. "I know where he is right now. I bet we could get him to help you catch a gecko."

Madison hopped up, coloring long forgotten. "Can I go, Uncle Horatio? Please?"

Calleigh was sure it was the first time she had seen Horatio's eyes twinkle. He seemed so at ease and his body language was turned toward his niece. Calleigh's life had depended, at times, on her ability to read people: she read his devotion to Madison in his every glance, every word. It amazed her.

"Yes," Horatio said easily, his voice holding back his evident amusement. "Just have her back in an hour," he told Calleigh.

Calleigh tucked the file under arm and extended her hand. "Come on, Madison, let's go find Eric."

Madison took her hand and skipped beside her. The last thing Horatio heard as they left his office was, "Did you know my stuff gecko is named 'Eric,' too? Uncle Horatio told me so."

About a half an hour later, Horatio leaned back in his chair to catch his breath. The never-ending paperwork of running a crime lab was almost as done as it would get that week. He glanced out the window and laughed out loud.

On the lawn below, Eric Delko was on his hands and knees, a sample container held above the sidewalk, with Madison hoping around him, clapping her hands gleefully. Eric lunged, landing spread-eagle on his belly, before scooping his hand under the container and triumphantly holding it out for Madison to see.

There was a flash from the corner of his eye and Horatio turned in time to see Calleigh lowering a camera, a grin across her face.

_MttS_

Horatio and Madison arrived home, grocery bags and a new plastic aquarium from Wal-Mart in tow, an hour earlier than the day before. As Horatio put their groceries away, she skipped out to the lanai with her new pet gecko and its "house." He listened to her show the poor creature around, calling it by its new name, "Tim" (having been so christened by Eric, who felt that just because Speedle was dead, he shouldn't be able to get out of this gecko business).

After setting Tim in a shady spot, Madison bounced through the kitchen. She tugged at Horatio's suit jacket until he bent over and was eye-level with her.

"Yes?" he asked.

Madison smiled and kissed his cheek. "I like you," she told him. With that, she bounced into her bedroom to change into her swimsuit. Smiling, he watched her go.

Done with the groceries, Horatio poured a diet Coke and sat on the lanai with Alexx's book. Madison heaved the sliding door open, carrying her beach towel and the inflatable dolphin.

Horatio left his chair to close the door for her. "Alright, my friend," he said, "any idea what you would like to do for the rest of the week?"

"Can we go to the beach?" she asked. "Mommy always says she wants to go but we never have time."

"We can go to the beach," he promised her. "Do you want to do that tomorrow?"

"Yeah!" she said.

Horatio watched her play in the pool while leafing through the book. It covered all of the state, with special sections for each major city. Miami had several interesting spots, along with restaurants that focused on family meals, listed.

He looked up and waved when Madison called out, "Watch me!" She jumped from the edge of the pool to the center, bobbing from the floaties on her arms. He tapped the book he held, thinking back to his childhood. His mom had been dedicated to their community, and to Horatio and Raymond. But there had been little time for "family fieldtrips" for the three of them. And then she was gone and Horatio was his brother's guardian. He remembered long, hot nights, helping his brother with homework while making notes of his own, trying to solve her murder.

There was Madison, oblivious to her family's history, her grandmother's death, her father's charade. Someday she would have to meet Raymond, tucked safely away in Brazil. This red-haired child who chased geckos and charmed criminalists, what would she make of this world when she was ready for it?

All the growing up she had to come: sports and girlfriends, boys and dating, college and career. Horatio had taken Raymond's adultery as a failure to teach his brother right from wrong. Now he saw Madison and wondered if her coming into the world hadn't been the reason for her father's behavior.

Horatio had never known his father, and now his brother had done the same to his child. Maybe Horatio was still taking care of Raymond's mistakes; and maybe he was thinking too much about all of it. Madison was here now; she was his flesh and blood. He had the opportunity to fill the gap Raymond had left behind.

And Madison had the opportunity to fill the gap Horatio hadn't wanted to acknowledge to himself.

_MttS_

Horatio let Madison eat dinner in her swimsuit, sitting at the lanai table. Dolphin had spent the dinner hour bobbing in the pool while Horatio tried to think of what geckos liked to eat.

She jumped back in the pool after helping him clear away the dishes. He sat with his laptop while she played, occasionally climbing out to check on Tim. The evening passed until he noticed the small clock at the corner of the screen: 7:30 p.m.

Horatio groaned. Bath time. And since they had skipped it the night before, she need one now.

"Madison, sweetheart, time to get out of the pool," he called, setting down the computer.

"No, it's not," she immediately told him.

"Madison," he repeated patiently. "Out of the pool."

She pouted, said good night to the dolphin and swam to the stairs. She splashed as much as she could getting out of the water and took as much time as possible to pull the floaties off her arms.

Madison followed Horatio into the house and headed toward her bedroom when he noted her suit and had an idea.

"You know," he said, "I think you maybe old enough for a shower. And," he added as incentive, "if you keep your swimsuit on, it will be all clean for you when we go to the beach."

She looked doubtful, scrunching up her face to study him.

"Really?" she asked. "Mommy said I can do showers when I'm bigger."

Horatio took the risk. Anything to avoid a repeat of Sunday night. "Well, I think you're big enough. And I'll be right there to make sure you don't slip."

Madison folded her arms. "Okay," she said, sounding hopeful in spite of her hesitation. She headed to the bathroom with a very relieved uncle in tow.

Just before eleven, Horatio checked all the locks on the doors, latched one window and set the alarm. He started the dishwasher and swallowed down his vitamins. Finally, he went to Madison's door to check on her one last time before he went to bed.

She lay asleep on her pillow, damp hair in a single braid – he still remembered how to braid a girl's hair – bunny tucked in her arms.

Horatio stood at her bedside, his emotions tugging at him. This was new to him, this protectiveness, this quiet need to see her face before sleep.

Fourteen years ago, Raymond had placed his infant son in Horatio's arms, his face filled with tenderness and awe. "You're an uncle, now," Raymond told him. "I need you – if ever I'm gone – to take care of him."

Horatio had taken baby Raymond, touching his small pink cheek. The baby had cooed and turned toward his hand, latching on with tiny fingers.

Fourteen years later, and Horatio lightly brushed Madison's cheek. She stirred a little, turning toward him, reflexively reaching for his hand.

_I'll take care of her, Raymond_, he silently told his brother. Leaning down, he brushed her hair with his lips. "I like you, too," he whispered to the sleeping girl.

_A/N: Tuesday is done and all asleep. I hope to post again tomorrow (6/12) but that depends on what I have completed. After that…..I will be out of town and I don't know if I'll be able to get online. But, have no fear, when I get back, the story will be done or almost so, and you'll get the rest of their week together then. Thank you so much for your reviews; they have been wonderful and very much an encouragement to continue._


	5. Wednesday morning

_Disclaimer: The only thing I come close to owning is Madison's personality, but that doesn't much count. So, nope, not mine. And Horatio still hasn't called. Neither do I own Kash'n'Karry, but someone else does because the one by my parents was just sold; however I don't know the new name of the grocery chain._

_A/N: I'm back from my sister's wedding and am happy to say, I now have a niece and nephew of my own. Here is a little bit to tide you over while I get some more written on their trip to the beach. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and I will try to answer emails that come my way. In the meantime, if you want more, go browse my LiveJournal at reportergirlkes._

"Yes," Horatio patiently told the director of Madison's daycare. "She won't be coming in today or for the rest of the week." Pause. "Yes, I know her registration is by the week. Madison – uhm – Madison is not feeling up to school." Pause again. "I will let her mother know, thank you."

He finally hung up the phone. That woman – Miss Lane – was persistent. He understood her concern, since he was not Madison's guardian. However, having to explain – twice – that Madison was not coming to daycare should not have been so difficult.

Horatio rubbed at his face. The beach. He was taking a five-year-old girl to the beach. He was taking a five-year-old girl and an inflatable dolphin to the beach for a day. How did his life come to this? And was it possible to blame Alexx for this?

He took a breath. Probably not.

"Squeak!"

Horatio jumped, spinning around to find Madison with her hands held like little paws. "Squeak! Squeak!"

Horatio smiled, not sure how she had managed to crept up on him. He put his hands on his hips and looked down at his niece.

"And, what are you today?"

"Squeak!" she squeaked. "I'm a mouse."

Horatio chuckled. "And so you are."

Madison tried to wiggle her nose and managed to scrunch up her face instead. She scurried around him in a circle, squeaking.

"Go put on your swimsuit, little mouse," he told her. "We have an adventure waiting for us today."

"Yipeee! Squeak!" Madison scurried off to her room. Horatio watched her go and shook his head. He went to pack a beach bag for the day, tossing in a book he had been meaning to read for the past year. They would stop at Kash'n'Karry for subs and drinks for lunch. There was still sun block, at SPF 35, that both of them could wear for the day. Instead of a suit, Horatio had opted for khaki Bermudas and a short-sleeve button down. It had been so long since he had gone to the beach to just be there – rather than retreat for solace at sunset – that he wasn't sure what was customary for dads to wear while taking their daughters to the water.

Let alone uncles with nieces who squeak.

"All set, little mouse?" he asked when Madison returned, wearing her suit with a pair of shorts and carrying her beach towel and the dolphin.

"Yep," she replied. "Can Tim come, too?"

"Uhm," Horatio glanced toward the lanai where the gecko currently lived. "I don't think, I don't think geckos like going to the beach. Too much sun for them."

"Okay," Madison drawled, disappointed.

Horatio looked her over, nodding. "Where are your sunglasses?" he asked.

Madison tilted her head. "I don't have any."

"You don't have any?" he asked in surprise. Madison shook her head 'no.' "Well, we'll have to do something about that." Horatio shouldered the beach bag. "Let's go."

Madison skipped ahead of him and out to the car. Horatio followed, again shaking his head. No, he wouldn't blame Alexx. He didn't think he'd blame anyone, after all.

_MttS_

Their first stop, Kash'n'Karry, was around the block from Horatio's house. Dolphin waited in the car while they ran in for lunch and sunglasses. They found the sunglasses in a stand near the pharmacy. One panel of the display contained sunglasses obviously for children, plastic, in a variety of colors and decorations.

"Okay," Horatio spun the display around so Madison could see the sunglasses. "Which pair do you like?"

Madison surveyed the shades, a finger pressed to her lips as she thought. She pulled a pink pair with little flowers at the hinges off the display and tried them on, looking at herself in the warped mirror. She frowned and put them back, taking a green pair with sea shells printed on them from the rack. She tried them on also and didn't like them.

The third pair she took off the rack were blue without any design. She held them so she could see the front and turned them over before putting them on. Madison peered at herself in the mirror, her tongue sticking out from the corner of her mouth. Then she looked up at Horatio and grinned.

"I like this pair!" she said happily. "Can I have these?"

Horatio smiled. She was grinning and the blue showed off against her bright red hair. "Yep," he told her. "They're yours."

Madison clapped her hands.

He guided her around toward the deli. "Let's get our sandwiches and drinks now."

The woman making sandwiches smiled to see them coming and took their orders. Madison stood on tip-toe, holding her sunglasses in her hand, to watch the woman at work. From there, they added potato chips and cans of soda before heading to the checkout.

Stepping outside, Horatio took his sunglasses, hanging by one arm from the second button of his shirt, and slipped them on with both hands. Beside him, Madison took her new blue sunglasses in both hands and copied his every motion.

_MttS_

Crandon Park beach was already crowded by the time Horatio and Madison arrived. The ocean water sparkled under a sun-washed blue sky while families with small children, teenagers showing off in bikinis and adults in wide-brimmed hats milled through the park and out on the beach.

Horatio shouldered the daypack and carried their small cooler with lunch in one hand. Madison opened the car door on her own and slipped out, struggling to pull the dolphin with her. He watched her concentrate for a moment, then maneuver around to better hold the toy and successfully pull it out the door.

"Stay close, Madison," he told her, instinctively scanning the parking lot and the picnic grove between them and the beach. He estimated fifty people in the general vicinity, nothing looking suspicious.

Madison slipped her small hand into his and looked up at him through her sunglasses. "Okay," she said eagerly.

Horatio glanced down at their joined hands. Impulsively he gave her hand two gentle squeezes. She grinned and squeezed back.

"Alright," he said, "let's, go to the beach."

The beach was teeming with activity and punctuated by squeals from playing children. They walked down the boardwalk before taking a turn down sand walkways surrounded on both sides by sea oats. Even though they were at the narrowest part of the beach, they had to walk almost a mile before getting to the water.

When they arrived at the beach itself, Horatio picked out a clump of coconut palm trees for them. Both he and Madison, as red-heads, were fair and tended to burn easily in the sun. Madison helped him to spread out the beach blanket he had brought, weighing it down with the small cooler and their shoes. He helped her shimmy off her shorts and t-shirt and quickly braided back her hair. He handed her the sun lotion and watched as she smeared it on her arms and face, before he applied a coat of it to her back and shoulders.

"Go play," he told her. "But stay where you can see me at all times, okay?"

Madison bobbed her head and grinned. She leaned over his seat on the blanket and kissed his cheek before running off to the water. He watched her reach the water's edge before splashing into the shallow waves. She giggled and waded in, the water barely reaching her knees.

Horatio scanned the beach again before digging into his bag for his book. The day was bright and the breeze from the sheltered lagoon beach was comfortable. He looked up to see Madison talking with a little boy about her age. The child's mother waved to him from her spot under another clump of palm trees. He waved back and then checked his cellphone for messages. There was one that had opted to go straight to voice mail. He pushed the buttons to dial and listened to the recording. It was from Alexx.

"Horatio," she ordered. "Don't even think of calling in to check on things today. Calleigh is handing the unit fine. Spend it with Madison. I mean it, sugar. You call in and I'll recommend to the senior commander that you need more time off. Have fun."

He clicked the phone off and shook his head. How was it that Alexx always seemed to know what he was thinking? Horatio settled back on the sand, glanced up to see Madison digging at the water's edge with two other children, the boy and a new girl, and opened his book.


	6. Wednesday at the Beach

_Disclaimer: See the first chapter. If you don't believe me, I'm sure I can find a group of women to explain to you that men never seem to call._

_A/N: And more to come. I guess this is getting in posted in stages of days. For those of you counting: that means the one after this will be the end of Wednesday and there is still a Thursday and Friday to go. I just got back and had to do some actual work today, but don't worry, there is plenty more to come. And, there is an end in sight – Horatio has to eventually go back to work, too. As always, thank you for the reviews – it brightens my day to know you've enjoyed something I've written._

"Uncle Horatio!" Madison called.

Horatio's head snapped up and he focused on his niece and then quickly checked the beach. Madison was standing with her hands on her hips. He set down his book and went to join her.

"Yes, Madison?" he asked.

She looked up at him with an accomplished grin. "Look what I drew," she said proudly.

In the white sand was a child's image of a dolphin swimming in the waves. She had used shells to make the dolphin's eye and a smiley face. There were little fish and bubbles around the dolphin.

_She's an artist_, he thought while looking at Madison's creation. "That's wonderful," he told her. "I think – I think it's a great drawing."

Madison beamed happily. "It's my dolphin. See? He has friends swimming with him and little shells to play with and –"

He listened intently as she told him the story of her dolphin, who went to school one day but then decided he wanted to play instead. Only his mommy dolphin found out and she came swimming to find him and take him back to school.

"And then –" Madison took a deep breath. "His uncle came to pick him up from school and they went for ice cream. Can we get ice cream?"

Horatio glanced at his watch. "Why don't we have our sandwiches first? Then we can have ice cream."

Madison looked at him and then at her drawing. "I want to play some more first."

"You can do that," he told her.

"But I want you to play with me," she said. Madison put on her 'cute' look once more and batted her eyes at him.

Horatio was about to say no – how do you play with a five-year-old? – when he remembered what Alexx had said the day before. _Madison needs you_. He took a deep breath and looked around the beach. There were other parents with their children; some building sandcastles, some playing catch and others swimming.

"What, what would you like to do?" he asked her.

Madison took his hand. "I wanna go look for seashells."

He let her drag him to the water's edge. "Okay," he said. "What shells are we looking for?" The 'trash' line – where most shells and ocean debris wash up – appeared to have already been scoured through.

"No," she said and pointed over the water. "We need to look out there!"

Out there was out in the water.

_Alexx_, he thought_, it's a good thing I trust you_.

"Okay," he said and bent over to roll up his pant legs. Feeling ridiculous, he followed Madison out into the shallow water.

A natural sand bar that runs far out into the ocean keeps the water near the beach shallow and warm. The sand shifted slightly beneath his feet as they waded out, with small shells occasionally poking up. Little fish darted away from their approach. Madison had taken his hand again and led him further along the sandbar.

"Stop here," she suddenly ordered. Madison pointed into the water. "We can look for shells here."

Horatio stared down into the water. It lapped midway on his shins but came up to Madison's knees. Where their feet had disturbed the bottom, there were little clouds of sand but the water itself was crystal clear. Madison knelt down in the water and started to brush sand away with her hands.

"Help me," she said, "I want to find shells to show Mommy. I think they'll make her happy."

He crouched down, doing his best to keep his pants from getting wet, and sifted through the sand with Madison. She was intent as she worked to uncover shells, her small face showing concentration.

"What, what kind of shells are we looking for?" he asked. He figured they could search a five-by-five square foot area, about three inches into the sand. It would be easier if they had brought shovels or some kind of whisk –

Horatio stopped his thoughts. He was not at work. This was not a crime scene. He was with his niece and they were looking for shells on a sandbar.

"Shells," he repeated. Madison nodded and flashed him a grin.

"Pretty shells," she told him. "All kinds of pretty shells." She pulled one up from the sand. It was a tiny conch-shaped white shell. "Like this one," she said, showing it to him.

Horatio took it from her and admired the shell in the sunlight. "That is a pretty shell," he said.

"Put it in your pocket," Madison instructed.

So he did. They continued to wade along the sandbar, stooping to search the lagoon bottom for shells. Madison found several pink shells, iridescent angel wings shells and fan-shaped clam shells. There were mollusk shells and one large sand dollar. Horatio's pockets were wet and full when Madison uncovered a full-sized, cream-colored conch shell.

"Oooo!" she squealed. "Uncle Horatio! Look! Look!"

Madison held it out, her face beaming in awe. She traced the edge of the shell with a finger, her mouth still in a little "o" of delight.

Horatio studied the shell and nodded to her. "It's beautiful, Madison."

"Can I keep it?" she asked him, looking up with blue eyes.

He brushed the top of her head. "Yes. But, I think it's time we headed back for lunch."

Madison nodded solemnly. She held her handfuls of shells close to her swimsuit as precious treasures. Since her hands were full, Horatio gently guided her to shore with his fingertips on her shoulder. They waded back to the beach; another father, playing with his two sons, nodded to Horatio as they passed.

They toweled off back at their beach blanket, sprinkling sand across their belongings. Madison lay on her tummy, playing with her shells, while Horatio spread out their lunch. She set the shells aside to take the sub half he offered her.

"Uncle Horatio," she asked, studying the shells while she ate. "How do fish breath?"

"Uhm." Horatio thought for a moment. Fish breathing. "They have gills on the side of their heads and take air from the water, I guess."

Madison bobbed her head while she ate and thought about it. "Do you know everything? Mommy said you're really smart."

He didn't know about the little red-head in front of him for the first four years of her life. He didn't know his brother was alive and missing for five years. He nearly lost his team because he was too wrapped up in his own grief to see their pain even when it presented itself loudly.

Horatio glanced out to the open water. The last year had taught him one thing: He didn't know everything like he once thought he did.

"Madison," he said, "I think you're mommy is a very smart woman. The thing is…the thing is, grown-ups only know more because they've had time to learn it. Someday, you're going to be just as smart as me."

Madison crunched through a potato chip. She picked up the large conch shell again. "Can I be a policeman like you when I grow up?"

"You can be anything you want," he told her.

She grinned and kicked her feet against the beach blanket. Madison inspected her seashells while they finished lunch. When she looked like she'd doze off, he covered her with her towel to keep the sun from burning her fair skin.

Horatio pulled his book out again after wrapping up their trash. He settled back and tried to read but Madison's words echoed in his ears. _Can I be a policeman like you when I grow up?_

_No_, he wanted to tell her. _Be a teacher, be lawyer, be a reporter, be anything other than a cop._ Something in his chest hurt; Horatio thumbed through this book, ignoring the pages, unable to identify the pain. Madison stirred under the towel and he heard navigator birds and children calling to each other on the beach.

_Grow up, have a career, get married and have red-hair children_, he silently told her. _Have something with doors and a long life with your family_.

Madison rolled over and opened her ocean-blue eyes. She sat up and tugged at her messy braid.

"Why are sad?" she asked him.

"I'm not sad," he said smoothly and smiled at her, closing his unread book.

Madison stood up and walked to his spot on the blanket. "You look sad," she told him. "Mommy sometimes looks sad, too."

"And, and what does she tell you?" he asked her.

Madison shrugged, Horatio's own mannerism mimicked back to him. "That I make her happy by being here."

Horatio gathered Madison into his arms and close to the pain in his chest. She giggled and squirmed, resting her head on his shoulder. "You make me happy by being here, too, Madison."

She kissed his cheek. "I like you, Uncle Horatio." She wiggled out of his arms and ran her hands through his red hair, making it as messy as possible. She giggled. "Now you look like me."

Horatio groaned, reaching for a comb that wasn't in his back pocket. He settled for smoothing his hair with his hands.

"Why don't you go play?" he suggested with a grin.

Madison shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She glanced past him to the little building just past the palm grove. "Uhm," she muttered. "I gotta go to the bathroom."

Horatio glanced across the beach hoping to catch the eye of the mother he had seen earlier. Her blanket was empty. He debated calling Alexx but decided harassment about geckos was more than enough.

"Okay," he said, picking up his wallet and putting his shoes back on. He stood up and took her hand. "Let's go."

They walked – well, he walked, she hopped – the distance to the public restroom. The doors for the men's and women's rooms were side-by-side. He frowned, looking from door to door. Obviously, Horatio couldn't enter the women's room. But just as obviously, he wasn't letting Madison go in there alone.

"Alright," he said, taking a breath. "Stand right here. Do not move." Madison nodded, still shifting her weight from foot to foot.

Horatio stepped inside the men's room and took out his badge. "Miami-Dade Police!" he called. "I need to secure this restroom."

There was some flushing and one teenager groaned, "Aw man! I didn't do it!"

"I don't care, son," Horatio told him. "Everyone out."

Three men – two adults and the teenager – quickly left, passing by Horatio. He checked on Madison just outside the door, and then opened the doors to the stalls. He lowered one seat, wiped it and laid toilet paper on it. Then he fetched Madison and quickly led her to the stall.

"Here you go, sweetheart," he said, closing the door. "Wash your hands when you're done. And don't touch anything else in here."

Madison nodded and struggled with her suit. Horatio went back to the main door and took up a guard station until she was done.


	7. Wednesday evening

_Disclaimer: Yep. Not mine. staring longingly at the telephone_

_A/N: Real Life continues to intrude, slowing me down a bit. Sorry this is short but it finishes Wednesday at the beach. Two and a half days to go, a fully-formed plot idea in place – as in this actually does lead to something – and it's been very hot here and I have no air conditioning. Thank you for the love and patience. _

The Florida sun skimmed past its highest point while Horatio and Madison waded back to the shore after their second round of shell hunting. Far down the beach the ice cream buggy was ringing a playful sound as it drew closer. Madison heard it and started skipping, begging for an ice cream cone before they left for the day.

The buggy arrived just as they finished packing up their spot under the coconut trees. Horatio gave her money when it stopped near them and Madison and a group of children gathered around it. Each one vied for the spot closest the ice cream man. Horatio watched, amused. Madison had managed to squirm her way up to the front.

"Let me guess," a man said next to Horatio. He had walked over with his two boys, who had then run to join the crowd. "The little red-head is yours."

Horatio turned to nod at the man. "Yep."

"She's about five, six?" he asked. Horatio nodded again. "My boys are four and seven. They grow up so fast. It's, like, yesterday the nurse put Jimmy in my arms and now I take him to t-ball practice on Saturdays."

Horatio gave the man a lop-sided smile. "It seems like yesterday she came into my life," he confided. "Now she's managed to turn everything upside down."

"Yeah, well, kids will do that to you," the man agreed, shading his eyes to better watch his sons. "They change everything on you."

_MttS_

There was no protest when Horatio announced bedtime. Madison giggled through her bathing suit-shower before wiggling into her nightgown. She padded out to the living room, bunny in arms, to say goodnight to Horatio.

She found him sitting on the couch, leafing through a photo album. Madison climbed on the couch and under his arm to settle in Horatio's lap. He kissed the top of her head when she bent over the page to see the pictures.

"Who's that?" she asked, pointing to one of them.

"That," Horatio told her, "that is my mother. Your grandmother."

Madison nodded as if she understood. "She looks like you." Madison touched the face of the woman in the photo and then Horatio's cheek. "See?" she asked, as if he understood.

Horatio looked at the picture again, trying to see the resemblance that Madison noticed. He always thought he must look like his father, because neither Marilynn Caine nor his brother, Raymond, had the bright red hair he was known for. Madison watched him, waiting for a response.

"I do," he told her. Madison grinned.

"Where's your daddy?" she asked, looking through the pictures and turning a page in the book.

Horatio cleared his throat. Even coming from his innocent niece, the question still hurt. He didn't have an answer at six and he didn't have one at 46.

"I don't know," he told her honestly. "We grew up without one."

"Oh," Madison said brightly. "Just like me."

Horatio looked up sharply at Madison. She was smiling, pleased to have found a way that she and Uncle Horatio were a like. Except, between Raymond and himself, they had made sure she would grow up without a daddy. And Madison saw nothing wrong with that. It was his worst fear come true: he had become like the father he never knew.

He glanced at the clock. "I think, I think it's time someone went to sleep," he told her. Madison pouted and snuggled into his chest. Horatio set the photo album on the side table and carefully stood, caring her in his arms.

Using his shoulder to flip the light switch, Horatio carried his niece to her bed.

"Alright, sweetheart," he said, settling her between the sheets. "You sleep tight. We have another adventure tomorrow. I don't want you to be tired."

Madison hugged her bunny and burrowed into her pillow. "What are we gonna do?" she asked, then stifled a yawn.

Horatio sat on the edge of her bed. "We," he said, "are going to ride a glass-bottom boat and see brightly colored fish. But," he held up a warning finger, "only if you sleep."

"Okay," she said, sitting up. She pulled at his arm until he came near her, then she kissed his cheek. "I like you, Uncle Horatio. I like being with you."

He hugged her. "I like being with you, too, Madison. Now, go to sleep."

Horatio glanced over his shoulder as he flicked off the light before heading back to the living room. He picked up the photo album, considered opening it again, and decided against it. Horatio wasn't up to dealing with his mother right then. He took the album back to its place in the bookshelf and went to the kitchen. After a day in the sun – which managed to burn the part in hair, the only place he couldn't get sunscreen – he felt it was time for a very cold beer.

There was the soft padding of a five-year-old's bare feet. Horatio turned around to see Madison standing on tip-toe to reach one of the day's treasures from the kitchen countertop.

"I forgot my shell," she explained as she reached the conch shell. She cradled it in her hands and hurried back to bed.


	8. Thursday morning

_Disclaimer: Thank you all for your show of support, but he still hasn't called. I'm beginning to lose hope._

_A/N: Here's Thursday morning. I'm doing the research I need to write the rest of the day and I will be away (again!) for the holiday weekend. I hope to update by this time next week. If only I could drive for seven hours and type at the same time… Thank you for the wonderful reviews – It's great to know you're reading and loving this fic. _

Horatio tossed in his sleep.

_With a glance at Speed, Horatio drew his own gun. The armed man moved along the floor, crouched beneath the table in the back room._

_The hairs on the back of Horatio's neck bristled as the armed man stood up, his eyes wild in panic. The man was going to shoot, he was going to shoot at Speed and then at him –_

_-- but he had to leave work before five, he needed to pick Madison up from daycare._

Horatio opened his eyes in the dark. His t-shirt was again soaked from the sweat evoked by the nightmare, his heart pounded in his ears. He lay there for a long time while his breathing returned to normal and his eyes adjusted. The digital alarm clock read 3:30 a.m.

He sat up and scrubbed at his face with his hands. The nightmare, again, the second time that week. This time, it had been different. This time, instead of worrying about Speed, he had worried for Madison. It was an odd sensation of guilt and relief.

Horatio stood and walked to the kitchen, thinking he just needed a drink of water. His feet detoured, past the kitchen and to his niece's bedroom. He cracked the door and peeked in on her. Madison was asleep, bunny in her arms and conch shell on the bedside table. Eric the Gecko lay at the foot of her bed as a protective spirit. She was safe, he was alive.

Horatio watched her sleep for a minute, then went to the kitchen for his drink of water.

The rest of the morning he dreamed of a little girl with red hair, who starred in the middle school play, graduated from college and became a woman with red hair, applying to the Miami-Dade Police Department.

_MttS_

Madison was dressed in a pair of denim shorts and a gold t-shirt when she came bouncing from her bedroom. Horatio had knocked on her door twenty minutes earlier to wake her. She carried her hairbrush and the figure-eight pony-tail holder with little plastic bubbles in each loop that little girls wore.

"Can you braid my hair, Uncle Horatio?" she asked, handing him the brush and hair loops.

Horatio set down his fresh cup of coffee. He scooped her up with one arm and stood her on one of the kitchen chairs.

"You know," he told her with a half-grin, "I used to be a big, scary CSI before you came here. Now, I braid little girls' hair."

Madison giggled. "You're not scary." She held her hand up, fingers curved like claws. "Scary are alligators and monsters under my bed." She made a silly growling sound and giggled some more.

"That's what you think," he told her, separating her hair into strands. She wiggled a little while he worked her fine hair into a half-way decent French braid.

"If you're a boy," Madison said, "how come you know how to braid my hair? You're better at it than Mommy."

Horatio's fingers finished the higher braid and continued on the length of her hair, while he considered his answer. "Well," he said, "when I was a young man I knew this girl. And she had very pretty long brown hair."

"Like Miss Yelina?" Madison asked.

"Yep," Horatio said, using the double loop to secure the braid. "Like Miss Yelina. Well, this girl had trouble braiding her hair, so one of her friends showed me how to braid it for her."

Madison turned around, her face solemn as she listened. "So what happened to the girl?"

Horatio lifted her down from the chair. "I married her. But, it didn't – it didn't quite work out."

"So where is the girl now?" Madison asked.

Horatio took a bowl from the cupboard and set in with the cereal on the table. "Have breakfast, Madison. We need to leave soon so we can be on time for the boat."

Madison poured her cereal, but continued to watch Horatio, thinking hard enough that she was squinting. "You're not going to tell me what happened to the girl, are you?" she said at last.

Horatio drank his coffee. "There's no secret. She lives up in Jacksonville with a new husband. They have a son and daughter in high school now, I think."

Madison added milk to her breakfast, swinging her feet under her chair. "Well," she declared. "I'm not going to Jacksonville. I'm gonna to stay right here with you, Uncle Horatio."

Horatio chuckled as he looked at the little girl, head tilted slightly toward the floor. She was so sincere in her pledge, eating frosted flakes and swinging her feet.

"Tell you what, my friend," he said, crouching down so that they were eye-level. "You are going to grow-up and have your adventures, but I, I will always be here for you. How about that?"

Madison bobbed her head and grinned. "Are we going to see dolphins, today?" she asked.

Horatio nodded and stood up. He took his mug to finish the rest of his coffee. "You know, I think we just might."

Madison clapped her hands and gobbled the rest of her cereal. She took her bowl to the dishwasher before skipping back to her room. Horatio collected his wallet and keys from the top of his bedroom dresser. He took the daypack with their bottles of water, sunscreen and snacks from the kitchen counter.

"Come along, Madison," he called, waiting by the garage door.

She came from her bedroom, carrying her large conch shell. She held it out for him to see. "Can I bring this?"

Horatio studied the shell for a moment. "Maybe – maybe you have a smaller one that will fit in your pocket?" he suggested.

Madison thought about it and darted back to her bedroom. She returned with a shell about the size of her hand. "This fits," she told him.

"Okay." Horatio nodded. "Put it in your pocket. We need to hurry; the boat leaves at ten o'clock and we don't want to miss it."

Madison grinned and nodded, putting the shell into her pocket and putting on her sunglasses.

_MttS_

"Two tickets, please," Horatio said to the young woman at the counter for the boat tours in Dante Fascell Visitor Center, "one adult, one child."

The woman leaned over the counter to see Madison, who was holding on to Horatio's hand and looking around the lobby of Biscayne National Park headquarters at Convoy Point. Tour groups were gathered in different corners while families and the occasional couple strolled by.

"They're leaving in twenty minutes," the woman said, taking Horatio's money and passing him the tickets. She point out the door and towards a walkway, leading to the marina. "You're just in time."

He took the tickets with a nod. Horatio lead Madison from the building and they walked down the path. A small group people waited on the pier. Some, such as the couple who wore University at Buffalo ball caps, were obviously tourists. Madison let go of Horatio's hand and skipped down the wooden walkway, ending at the railing. She ducked her head between the two rails and peered down to the water.

Horatio came up from behind her, resting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I can see to the bottom," she told him. Madison stood up again. "When's the boat getting here?"

Horatio checked his watch. "In just a minute, I suspect."

That's when the boat puttered from around the bend. It approached the dock slowly enough not to leave a wake. It neared the pylons and the engine audibly cut out. The crewman and the interpretative guide leaned out the side of the boat, which had a white roof covering and high blue walls, as it neared the pier.

"Stand back," the crewman called as the boat slowed further. A second whine started up as the captain use a smaller motor to bring the boat to a stop. It got close enough for the crewman to jump from the boat to the pier. The guide tossed him a line and he pulled the boat up to the bumpers, tying it to the pier.

The crewman offered the guide his hand and she stepped across the small gap. Together they laid a short plank down for their passengers. A moment later the captain appeared. Each of them wore the park's tan polo-shirt uniform, but the captain had on surfer jams and a cap with a gold ship's wheel embroidered to the front.

The guide was a woman who looked to be in her early fifties, with short, sun-bleached hair. She had a welcoming smile as she greeted the boaters for the morning.

"Welcome to Biscayne National Park," she said. "This is one of the largest national parks in the South. What makes us unique, is 95 percent of the park is underwater, which is why you'll be our guests for the day. As you've already figured out, the best way to see that 95 percent is from one of our glass bottom boats."

The guide indicated with her hand to the crewman, a brown-hair man who looked to still be in college. "This is Greg, who is crewing for us today. And here," she indicated toward the third member, "is our Captain, James McKay, affectionately known as Captain Bubba."

Captain Bubba tipped his hat to the crowd and winked at the guide. He looked to also be somewhere in his late fifties and Horatio thought he had a mischievous grin.

"I'm your guide, Savannah," the woman continued. "We're going out on a three-hour tour to the coral reefs and back. But don't worry," she added, "if anything happens to our _Minnow_, I assure you, it will take considerably less than three years for us to be found."

"That's 'cause the lady can holler sumtin' good," Captain Bubba commented. "They'd a' hear us all the way down island."

Savannah shot him a glare. "Thank you, _James_," she said, stressing his name. She turned back to their passengers and stepped away from the plank. "Come on board and let's take a tour of nature's beauty."

Captain Bubba headed back to the pilot wheel, but not before Horatio heard him mutter to Greg, "I know the tour a' beauty I'd like."

The younger man glanced heavenward with a pleading look on his face, palms outstretched to the sky. Madison saw him and tugged at Horatio's belt loop, a questioning look on her own face.

Horatio chuckled. He had seen the same expression on more than one of his team members' faces.

"They're friends," he told her.

The tour crowded on the boat, Savannah and Greg standing to one side. Captain Bubba, with another wink to Savannah, headed back to the pilot wheel. Horatio and Madison found a spot near the stern of the square boat, where she could see through the bottom of the boat and he could watch over the side rail.

Madison tugged at his blue shirt sleeve and pointed in excitement through the glass bottom. A brightly colored angel fish had darted toward the middle, paused, swished its tail and dart away again. Madison set both of her hands on the caution rail and leaned over, enthralled.

The engine started up and Greg untied the boat, pulling up the small plank with Savannah's help. There was a sharp whistle that made Madison jump and cover her ears, and the boat tugged away from the pier.


	9. Thursday boat trip

_Disclaimer: I am the queen of the world! I am queen of all that I see! My name is Elmer J. Fudd, millionaire! I own a mansion und a yatch! I – I have been give a statement from my lawyer: "I do not own CSI: Miami nor any reference made to CSI: Miami and submit the following as a work of fanfiction, done for my enjoyment. I am making no profit from this venture."_

_Oh, drat. I hate it when she's right._

_A/N: You've been so patient! Thank you all, and thank you for your comments. I like hearing what you like and your constructive criticism._

The tour boat glided through the water of the bay, hugging close to the mangroves lining the northern shore of the mainland. Water birds shot into the air as they approached. Madison stood on the small edging to better see over the high walls of the boat.

"We are cruising the longest undisturbed mangrove shoreline on the East Coat of the United States," Savannah described as they past the trees. Tall and slender, the mangroves reached tendril fingers into the water. "The mangroves filter water and prevent coastal erosion, in addition to giving shelter to the many kinds of fish in the bay." She looked around at their passengers with a smile. "How many fishermen do we have on board today?"

Horatio was one of five men who tentatively held up their hands. Savannah nodded while Madison eyed him with a little suspicion.

"We also have 28 miles of coral reef, some of which we will visit this morning," she continued. "We have more than 400,000 people coming each year to visit our reef, which is the third-largest barrier reef in the world. And, our bay is the resting place of 43 ships, sunk during various storms, hurricanes and the occasional collision with the 28 mile reef."

There were a few chuckles as she said that. The boat glided along the shore before turning away and heading into the bay. Madison stopped listening to the guide's speech and leaned over the caution rail and through the glass bottom of the boat. Colorful fish darted beneath the glass and the bay floor rolled by.

Horatio watched her for a moment, head intently bowed, as she studied the bay under her feet. A bright green, blue and orange colored fish with what appeared to be teeth came into view, munching on a floating piece of seaweed. It turned an eye up to the boat and Madison giggled as the fish looked at her. She tugged at Horatio's hand, wanting him to see, also.

"That's a parrotfish," Savannah told Madison, noticing the little girl's interest. "We have more than 200 species of fish in the park."

Madison looked up at the guide. "Do you have dolphins, too?"

"We have dolphins, too," Savannah assured her. Madison turned to Horatio with a big a grin.

The chug of the engine turned and the boat began to slow down. It came to hover just south of Featherbed Bank. As it drifted slightly, the wooden mast of a sunken sailing ship came into view. Fish darted in and out of the broken hall and a shadowy stingray moved smoothly over the vessel.

"We are above the _Andrew_," Savannah explained. Madison was again leaning through the rail, wonder across her face. "The _Andrew_ sank in 1925 during a storm. He was attempting to smuggle bottles of rum from the Bahamas to Miami and went to the bottom of the bay with a full cargo of rum in its hold. Occasionally, divers still return with bottles from the hull."

The bottom stayed above the _Andrew_ for a few more minutes so that everyone could have a chance to see the sunken boat. Then Captain Bubba started the engine up and the boat continued on its way. They passed Featherbed Bank and cut between Boca Chita and Elliott keys. Horatio alternated between watching Madison's fascination with the bay floor and looking out over the waters of the bay, with a glance towards Miami. From the calm waters of Biscayne Bay, his city looked peaceful, reflecting the sun as if it were painting by a Caribbean artist.

Madison was delighted when the boat paused again above the coral reef in Hawk Channel. The aquatic city below was swimming with exotic life. Another stingray floated beneath the boat while more angelfish swam past and a moray eel struck out for its dinner. A large barracuda sulked between coral shelves.

"This is our coral reef," Savannah described. "Because Biscayne Bay is a shallow bay, we're more of nursery. You find more fish and sea life in infancy or juvenile stages than you find adult in our reef. You can see some sea fans and plumes over there and an example of brain coral here."

Captain Bubba let the small boat drift for ten minutes while the tourists continued to enjoy the reef. Horatio let the sun and the ocean breeze relax the knot at the back of his neck and he found himself enjoying the slow hum of the bay. With a small jump, he realized he had almost been lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of the boat. Madison climbed into the seat between him and the gate to the diving platform at the back of the boat. She leaned over the edge, the bay breeze blowing the wisps of red hair loose from her braid. Horatio thought she looked like the child of a sea maiden from an ancient story. She held her shell in her right hand like a talisman of good fortune.

The boat turned in the water and threw the cut at the end of Elliot Key named Caesar Creek. The boat dock was in site and Savannah had pointed out Pelican Bank when Madison squealed.

"A dolphin!" she exclaimed, her eyes round in wonder. She turned once to Horatio to make sure he saw it, also.

Savannah nodded and smiled. The tourists all turned to see the dolphin at play in Biscayne Bay. "We get quite a few –"

Madison leaned against the diving gate and in her excitement pushed it open. Horatio sprang after her, his fingers brushing at the back of her t-shirt but unable to grab on.

In a blur of motion, Madison was in the water. Moving too quickly and off-balance, Horatio tumbled in after her.

There was a collective gasp from the other passengers. Savannah shouted to Greg for the life-rings as Bubba cut the engines completely.

Horatio surfaced, choking out water. "Madison," he said, scanning the water, then yelled, "Madison!"

He swam out from the boat, trying to see his niece through the crystal clear water. "Madison!" he shouted again, treading water and feeling the weight of his waterlogged clothes. Greg threw a life-ring to him; Horatio took it with one hand but stayed where he was.

"Where is she?" he shouted to Savannah, who had a long pole in the water for either of them to grab. Horatio couldn't see Madison anywhere. He swallowed the panic burning at the back of his throat and forced his mind to be the police officer. She couldn't be gone.

A spout of water in the air caught Horatio's eye and he spun where he was. The fin of the dolphin broke the surface, racing toward him. The dolphin blew again and slapped the surface of the water with its tail. It rushed forward and Horatio could see Madison's swirling red hair just before the dolphin pushed her into his arms. Madison collided with her uncle and instinctively grabbed Horatio around his neck. Savannah saw them and pulled on the rope attached to the life-ring Horatio held. Greg joined her and together they pulled Horatio and Madison back into the glass-bottom boat.

There was a commotion on the boat as the passengers shifted around. A nurse among them shoved her way forward and immediately began to examine Madison. Madison's eye lids fluttered and Horatio watched as the woman checked her breathing and pulse.

Bubba gunned the engine and the boat took off for the dock at the visitor's center.

Horatio wiped water from his eyes and knelt beside Madison, taking her hand. She started to cough and the nurse pushed her into a sitting position. She coughed up some water, gasped deeply and began to cry. Wordlessly, Horatio gathered her in his arms and held her tightly, squeezing his eyes shut in silent gratitude.

_MttS_

The park's paramedic hovered over Madison while the nurse from the boat assisted. Horatio looked on from the other cot in the infirmary, shoulders slumped. They wore terry robes while their clothes tumbled dry somewhere in the next room.

A light hand rested on his shoulder. Horatio turned to see Savannah standing behind him.

"Thank you," he told her simply.

Savannah smiled and shook her head. "You're welcome, I guess. But I'm here to apologize – I had tested the lock but I guess I didn't look hard enough. That was quite a fright she gave us."

"Yep," he responded. The paramedic had finished his exam. "But Madison is going to be okay."

"I'm sure," Savannah said. She studied him a moment. "Will you be alright?"

Horatio looked up at her. "There was a moment in the water – when I couldn't see her," he admitted. "But I will be now."

The paramedic waved them over. Madison immediately snuggled close to Horatio when he sat on her bed.

"Your little girl is fine," he told Horatio. "A little waterlogged, but fine."

"I was scared, Uncle Horatio," Madison told him.

Horatio smoothed her hair. "So was I, sweetheart."

She giggled and pointed at the paramedic. "He says the dolphin saved me."

Horatio thought it over, playing back the moment when he couldn't see her in the water in his mind. "I guess, I guess the dolphin did, at that."

Madison frowned again as the paramedic packed up his kit. "I lost my shell, though," she said. "I got to see a dolphin but I lost my shell."

Savannah sat on the opposite side of the bed and took one of Madison's hands. She smiled warmly. "Well, Madison, that's something important for you to know, then."

"What is?" Madison asked. Horatio looked over her head at the guide.

Savannah nodded, as if listening to a memory. She tipped her head slightly as she spoke. "Shells sink," she said. "Dreams float."


	10. Thursday evening

_Disclaimer: I disclaim. For reference, "You Got The Silver" appears on the Rolling Stones album "Let It Bleed" (1969), performed by Keith Richards and the members of the Rolling Stones. It appears here without permission, but with respect, and as an integral part of the story, not as songfic. I may be a Parrothead but it seems Horatio is into the Stones._

_A/N: Thank you for the reviews! There have been 38 reviews so far and I'm just blown away by how much you like my fic. Between my notes and your reviews, it's been a wonderful conversation that I truly appreciate. As always, let me know what you think and your constructive criticism._

Horatio was not dreading Suzie's phone call in the evening. He just was not looking forward to telling Suzie that her daughter went head-first into the deep-end of Biscayne Bay earlier that day. He considered not mentioning it but knew if he didn't, Madison would and in great excitement and detail.

When they had come home from their adventures at the bay, he sent her to her room for a shower and change of clothes. Madison did both, animatedly telling her dolphin all about the real dolphin that had pushed her to safety. She returned with arms full of dirty clothes from the week as he had asked.

While Horatio sorted clothes quickly by color, Madison helped herself to a glass of juice and went out to the lanai with her coloring books. He listened from the laundry room while she chattered at Tim in his small aquarium. He started the washing machine and went to the kitchen to plan dinner. The telephone rang just as he opened the freezer to consider the possibilities of any chicken that might be in there.

"Hey, Horatio," Suzie said breathlessly. "How are things with you and Madison?'

Horatio cradled the phone on his shoulder and glanced at Madison on the lanai. "Things are well," he said truthfully. "Although we're having some adventures."

"That's good," she said. "My training is almost done. They're going to put me in the advertising office, working on the website."

"Good, good," he said. "That was something you were interested in." He paused. "Uhm, however, I think you should know…well, Madison is fine, but –"

"But what?" Suzie asked quickly. Horatio winced at the panic in her voice. "Is Madison okay? What happened?"

Horatio closed the freezer. He took down the cookbook from above the refrigerator. A half dozen take-out menus slid out.

"Madison is fine," he assured his niece's mother. "She – uh – she ended up taking a little swim at Biscayne National Park."

"A swim?" Suzie quizzed, sounding skeptical.

"Well –" Horatio thumbed through the menus. "Madison, well, she fell in because she was excited to see a dolphin."

"Should I come home?" Suzie asked hurriedly. "I could probably get a flight tonight."

Horatio's head snapped up and he frowned. "No," he told her. "Madison is alright. We pulled her from the water unhurt and she got to see her dolphin. You don't need to cut your training short."

There was silence from the other end and Horatio could imagine Suzie considering coming home early anyway. Finally, he heard her sigh.

"Okay, Horatio," Suzie said. "If you tell me Madison is alright, I believe you."

Horatio let out his breath. "Good, good," he said. "She and I are having a good time. Do you want to talk with her?"

"Of course," Suzie said too brightly.

Horatio called Madison in from the lanai and handed her the phone. "Mommy!" she exclaimed and giggled. "Guess what? A dolphin saved my life!"

Horatio held his breath again as Madison took the phone and skipped out to the living room. He stared down at the menus and wondered if little girls liked Chinese for dinner.

Madison continued to dance around the living room, telling Suzie about their day. Horatio flipped open his cellphone and ordered their dinner. From there, he headed back to the laundry room to change loads. Madison chattered to her mother as he passed her on the way to his bedroom, where he kept his bank envelope in the top drawer of his dresser.

He paused for a moment while opening the drawer. On the dresser he kept his mother's picture and one of himself and Raymond as teenagers. There was picture of Ray Jr. in a soccer uniform and one of Yelina and Ray Jr. from two Christmases ago. Horatio frowned, studying his pictures, his eyes resting on his mother's picture.

_What I need_, he thought before he could stop himself, _is one of Madison, and maybe one of her with Suzie._

He considered a picture of his niece in light of the possibility that Suzie would not leave Madison with him again after her spill into the bay.

"Uncle Horatio!" Madison called from the living room.

Horatio squared his shoulders and headed out of his bedroom. "Yes, Madison?"

She ran over to him and thrust the phone out. "Mommy wants to say goodnight."

Horatio took the phone from her. Madison hopped from foot to foot and then darted back to the lanai and her coloring.

"Horatio," Suzie said, worry again in her voice, "did a dolphin really save my daughter's life?"

"Well – " he hedged.

"Horatio."

"The dolphin… the dolphin did seem to push Madison toward me," he admitted.

There was silence from the other end of the phone, then he heard Suzie tell someone she would be right there.

"I have to go," she said to him. "I guess I'll see you on Saturday."

"Yep," Horatio agreed. He walked across the house to the kitchen and replaced the receiver.

The delivery guy from Great Wall rang the bell half an hour later. Horatio took the bags out to lanai and set the table with bowls and small plates, placing chopsticks at his place and a fork at Madison's.

He called her for dinner. Madison wrinkled up her nose and informed him "that smells funny" when he served her Moo Goo Gai Pan. She did seem to be interested in the fried dumplings. He led her in Grace Before Meals again, mentally adding his own twin prayers.

_MttS_

At seven-thirty, Horatio sent Madison to put on her pajamas. He took the laundry from the dryer and carried the basket to the living room. Taking a CD of the Rolling Stone's album "Let It Bleed," he popped in the disk and adjusted the volume. The Stones were an old habit from his teens. Comfort music, of sorts.

He poured the clothes from the basket to the couch. It took a moment to sort Madison's clothes from his. Horatio quickly folded up his clothes, especially the boxers, before Madison could return. The water was running in her bathroom; he guessed she was brushing her teeth before bed.

Horatio shook out the gold t-shirt Madison had been wearing that morning. Then he held it up, examining the shirt from both sides. It was so small, he thought. Of course Madison's clothes would be small, he chided himself, but he still folded her shorts and shirts with a bit of awe. A very small person wears those clothes – a very small person with red hair and freckles and an affinity for geckos. And this very small person looked up to him for some reason, swearing she would never go to Jacksonville and leave him.

Horatio had to give her back on Saturday. He sighed and finished folding the child's clothes. Monday morning, with whatever investigation and DB it might bring, was still a long way off, and Saturday afternoon didn't need to come any sooner than it would on its own.

"You look sad again," he heard a small voice say. Horatio looked up from placing the folded clothes in the basket.

"No, no, not sad," he corrected her with a smile. "Just thinking."

Madison climbed on the couch next to him. "Oh." She watched him expectantly, then frowned. "Who's singing?"

Horatio chuckled. "That's the Rolling Stones."

"Who?" she asked again.

The disc switched between songs and Horatio's eyes twinkled. He stood up and helped Madison to stand on the couch.

"May I have this dance, young lady?" he asked. Madison giggled. She jumped on the cushions until he picked her up, settling her small body on his hip. Horatio traced a box-step on the floor and twirled them both as Keith Richards wailed the jazz-folk combination of "You Got The Silver."

_Hey, babe, what's in your eyes?  
I saw them flashing like airplane lights  
You fill my cup, babe, that's for sure  
I must come back for a little more _

You got my heart, you got my soul  
You got the silver, you got the gold  
You got the diamonds from the mines  
Well, that's allright, it'll buy some time

Horatio twirled them again and Madison giggled some more. He set her down and gently guided her in the box-step, spinning her in the center of the step. She watched their feet and worked hard to copy his steps, then looked up with a shining face.

Madison grinned and he swept her back up as Richards finished the ballad. She rested her head on his shoulder and he cradled her close.

_Hey babe, what's in your eyes?  
Is that the diamonds from the mines?  
What's that laughing in your smile?  
I don't care, no, I don't care _

Hey babe, you got my soul  
You got the silver, you got the gold  
A flash of love has made me blind  
I don't care, no, that's no big surprise

Horatio danced with her, carrying Madison to her bedroom. With one hand he pulled back the sheets and settled her in the bed. She giggled as he pulled the covers up to her chin and kissed her forehead.

"Hey babe, you got my soul," he sang to her, "you got the silver, you got the gold. A flash of love has made me blind. I don't care, no, that's no big surprise."

Madison reached up and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Uncle Horatio."

Horatio blinked in surprised, then tucked Madison in for the night. "I love you, too, sweetheart. Now sleep tight."


	11. Friday morning

_Disclaimer: You've all heard it before._

_A/N: Thank you for your patience. Thereare 24 hours of story time left after this segment, but we are nearing the end. I'm away from home right now, so it's taking me longer to write and post than I planned, so I want to thank you for sticking around to finish the story with me._

After two days of sunburns, bathroom breaks in the men's room, falling into Biscayne Bay and wearing someone else's robe while their clothes tumbled dry, Horatio figured Friday would be a good day to stay home.

He actually slept late, without nightmares, and woke up to see Madison standing over him, hugging her bunny tightly. The clock next to the bed read 9:00 a.m.

"I'm hungry," she announced.

Horatio rubbed at his face, trying to get his eyes to focus. Madison didn't disappear.

"Okay, sweetheart," he said after a moment. "Help yourself to cereal."

"I want pancakes," Madison said. "Do you know how to make pancakes?"

Horatio groaned. The clock said 9:01 a.m. He hadn't made pancakes in five years. He didn't even have syrup in the house.

"Please," she begged.

_Coffee_, is what he thought.

"Alright," Horatio said at last. "I'll make you pancakes. Go get dressed and let me shave."

Madison grinned and skipped out of his bedroom. Horatio lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling, very glad he remembered to wear a t-shirt to bed. Definitely, staying home that day.

His cell phone rang. He had left it next to the alarm clock and reach over to grab it with one hand. He answered the phone, still staring at the ceiling, "Horatio."

"Good-morning, honey," Alexx said. She sounded extremely alert and awake. "How's parenthood treating you?"

"I'm just glad she's passed diapers," Horatio told her. "What can I do for you, Alexx?"

"Dennis has the day off," she said. Horatio heard Alexx shuffling a stack of papers in the background; he decided she was in her office. "He thought it would be nice if we had people over for dinner this evening. Madison can play with Bryan and Janie and you can talk with adults."

"Sounds wonderful," he said. "Can I bring anything?"

Alexx chuckled on the other end. "Just that little girl of yours. Oh, and I invited Calleigh and Eric. Calleigh's bringing her mother's pecan pie."

The last time Calleigh brought "her mother's pecan pie" had been to Thanksgiving at Alexx and Dennis' home two years ago. The pie was seen briefly in the dinning room before mysteriously disappearing. Eric and Tim insisted they had nothing to do with the pie's disappearance but were smart enough to save Horatio a piece.

"That may be bribery," Horatio told his best friend. He sat up and leaned forward, trying to snag his bathrobe from the valet next to the bed stand.

Alexx laughed outright. "Of course it is, sugar. Now, you be at our house at five. And bring your swimsuits."

Horatio frowned. "Five?" he asked. "Slow day?"

"Slow week," Alexx said. "Besides, the boss has been out for most of it."

The boss shook his head. "Alexx –"

"See you at five, Horatio," she said. "Now, I've got to go if I want to be able to leave early."

Alexx hung up. Horatio grabbed his robe and headed to his bathroom. Again, _again_, she had managed to be right and tell him what he needed to do.

_Mtts_

"Pancakes," Horatio muttered and stared at his open pantry. He closed the door and opened the freezer, hunting for flour or Bisquick or any other needed item for pancakes.

As any good bachelor, he came up empty.

"Pancakes," Madison echoed as he closed the freezer door. She had gotten dressed in the meantime and was now following him around the kitchen, mimicking his every word.

Horatio took a sip from his coffee and rubbed his forehead.

"Are you sure you want pancakes?" he tried again.

Madison looked up at him and vigorously nodded her head.

"We, uhm, well, we don't have what we need for pancakes," he told her.

Madison looked forlorn and stuck out her bottom lip. Horatio continued to rub at his forehead.

_What the hell_, he thought, _it's only pancakes_. He finished his coffee and put the mug in the dishwasher. He grabbed his keys from the corner of the countertop.

"Come on, Maddie," he said. "We're going out for breakfast and you can get pancakes."

Madison cheered and dashed to the side door. Horatio followed, opening the garage door above Madison's head. He helped her into the backseat and walked around to the driver's side door. He pulled out of the driveway and was headed done the rode before he realized he didn't know where to go for pancakes. Calleigh had once dragged him, along with Eric and Tim, to a pancake house. She had been hungry and swore pecan pancakes were the only things she could possibly eat that night.

First geckos, now pancakes. He knew he'd never hear the end of it, but called Calleigh for directions anyway.

"Original Pancake House," Calleigh said, choking on what annoyingly sounded like a giggle. "They're on Southwest 72nd Street."

"Thank you, Calleigh," he said, hoping to get her off the phone.

"No problem, Handsome," she replied. "Hang on." Then Horatio heard her say over her shoulder, "Horatio's taking Madison to breakfast at OPH."

"We haven't eaten yet," Eric said in the background. "You want to join them? We'll call it lunch."

Horatio slowed the car to a stop at a red light. He glanced in the review mirror to check on Madison. She was watching out the window.

"Doesn't anyone work when I'm away?" Horatio asked wearily.

"Oh, yeah," Calleigh said brightly. "We made an arrest in Tuesday's hit-and-run. And Eric has a new lead on the Mendez case. So, we'll meet you at OPH in fifteen minutes?"

"Fifteen minutes," Horatio agreed before flipping the phone shut. He glanced back again to Madison. "It seems, it seems your friends Calleigh and Eric are joining us for breakfast and dinner at Dr. Alexx's house."

Madison leaned forward in her seat. "We're going to Dr. Alexx's house?" she asked, excited. "I like her. Can I play with her kitty?"

Horatio chuckled to himself. He had forgotten he promised Madison she could see Alexx's cat. "I imagine so," he told her. "And, Dr. Alexx has two kids you can play with, too."

Madison clapped her hands. "Kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty…"

_MttS_

Eric and Calleigh were already seated when Horatio lead Madison into the restaurant. Madison saw Calleigh and skipped across the room to their booth. Madison climbed up next Calleigh and tossed her arms around the blond woman.

"What, I don't get a hug?" Eric teased as Horatio eased himself into the booth next to him.

Madison settled next to Calleigh and looked at Eric with an expression of disbelief. "You're a boy," she informed him. "You don't hug boys."

Eric laughed at her answer and elbowed Horatio, who had picked up a menu. "We'll see if she says that in ten years," he said.

"She better," Horatio muttered.

Eric smirked. "I'm just glad Calleigh got over that," he said.

Horatio raised his eyebrows and tipped his head. "Calleigh carries a gun and knows how to use it."

Calleigh looked up from the children's menu and crayons she was sharing with Madison. "I heard that, bub."

"Yeah, yeah," Eric dismissed but winked at her. Calleigh smiled from the corner of her mouth at him.

_Coffee_, Horatio thought for the second time that morning and closed his eyes in pain. To his relief, a waitress headed their way. Sensing his distress, she filled his coffee cup before asking, "And what will it be this morning, dears?"

"Pancakes!" Madison immediately told her, leaning on the table.

The waitress laughed at her eagerness and nodded to Calleigh. "Buttermilk short stack with syrup?"

Calleigh glanced at Horatio, a little surprised. He nodded slightly in agreement. "Yes," Calleigh replied. "That would be good for her. And I will have your dollar pecan cakes with scrambled eggs. And a sweet tea, please."

"And chocolate milk," Madison added with a grin.

Eric quickly skimmed his menu when the waitress turned to him next. "Uhm, I'll have your blueberry pancakes, with bacon and a Coke."

Horatio looked up from fixing his coffee with cream and sugar. "Scrambled eggs, Canadian bacon and toast."

The waitress wrote down their orders, winked at Madison and headed toward the kitchen. Horatio savored his coffee while Madison chattered happily to Calleigh as they worked through the maze on the back of the children's menu. Eric settled back in the booth and shot a toothy grin at Calleigh.

Madison made a face and then leaned over and whispered something in Calleigh's ear. Calleigh nodded and slid from the seat, followed by Madison. "If you gentlemen will excuse us," she said, her Southern accent light, "we ladies need to powder our noses."

Madison giggled at the expression and took Calleigh's hand. The two of them left toward the restrooms.

Eric watched them go. He sat forward on the seat, folding his heads on the table. "She's so cute," he said to Horatio. "She sort of makes me think of having one."

"Little girl?" Horatio asked, setting down his coffee. There was an under level of seriousness in Eric's voice.

"Little girl, little boy," Eric said. "_Delkoito_. You know, having a family."

Horatio turned so he could see the younger man more clearly. He paused, choosing his words carefully.

"What does Calleigh think?" he asked gently. "Have you talked with her yet?"

Eric sighed and sat back again, playing with the tableware. "Nah," he admitted. "I dunno. I guess I'm not ready to ask her, yet. I mean, sometimes I am and sometimes…I don't know if I'm ready."

Horatio thought Eric's answer over and took another sip of his coffee. He set the mug down. "Eric," he said, "just don't wait too long to ask her."

Eric nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I know."

_MttS_

Madison splashed happily in the pool while Horatio floated in the pool chair. She was playing with one of the noodles the Wal-Mart clerk had explained was another necessity for children. She dog-paddled over to his chair and hung on to the side.

"I like your friends, Uncle Horatio," she said. "Miss Calleigh has pretty hair. I want hair just like her's."

"I like your hair the way it is," Horatio told her. He flicked a few drops of water at her freckled nose.

Madison bobbed in the water. "What are you going to do when I go home tomorrow?" she asked. "Will you miss me?"

Horatio sculled the water. A bright white sandhill crane called and flew overhead. Madison looked up, awe on her face.

He watched her look up, the filtered sunlight making her face shine.

"Yes," he said softly, "I'll miss you."

Madison returned her eyes from the sky to her uncle. "Huh?" She grinned. "Davy goes to see his daddy every other weekend."

"Does he?" Horatio asked.

"Uh-huh." Madison nodded, her eyes wide. "If he can see his daddy, can I come be with you?"

"Can you… come see me?" he said thoughtfully. "You would want to? What about your mommy?"

Madison splashed him back. "I see her all the time," she said matter-of-factly. "I hardly ever get to see you. And you're funny."

Horatio watched her play in the water. She tried to do a flip but was prevented from doing more than dunking herself by the floaties on her arms. He glanced at the clock, which read they had an hour before having to leave for Alexx's house.

The pool was not very big, just large enough for what is called "social swimming." Madison paddled to one end of the pool and used her feet to shoot away again from the side. There was a splash in the pond outside the lanai; Horatio turned to see one of the hawks rise from the water, gripping a fish in its talon.

His pool chair suddenly wobbled and he flailed to the side. The movement made the chair flip over. Horatio went into the water. He sputtered to the surface, toes brushing the bottom of the pool, to hear Madison giggling.

"I made you go in the water," she laughed, swimming just out of reach.

Horatio wiped his face and grinned at the mischievous child. "And I think, my friend, that I should return the favor," he told her, swimming to her side in two long strokes.

Madison squealed in delight as he caught her and lifted her above the water. She hurriedly gulped a breath of air before he tossed her forward in the water. There was a splash and she bobbed up, laughing.

"Do it again, do it again!" she cried, splashing water at him.

Horatio laughed in returned and picked her back up.


	12. Friday Afternoon

_Disclaimer: At this point, you've already read it._

_A/N: It's been a long ride (longer than I planned) and I'm very grateful you're still here to read it. It's now Friday afternoon and I plan one more day with Horatio and Madison. Thank you so much for your feedback and I hope you enjoy the following chapter. What would really help me, as an author and fanwriter, is if, when you offer me reviews, you could tell me what you liked, what parts (scenes, phrases, actions) you liked and why and if they worked the way I hoped they would. Thank you so much for reading my fic and sharing this time with Madison and Horatio with me._

Calleigh's yellow Jeep was already parked in Alexx and Dennis' driveway when Horatio and Madison arrived. He frowned slightly, wondering what time his team had left CSI but quickly put it out of his mind.

The Woods home was a graceful, newer house in South Beach, about two miles from Biscayne Bay. The afternoon sun lit up the red Spanish tiles on the roof. Horatio pulled his Lexus alongside the curb. With an announcement of "We're here" to Madison, Horatio stepped out of the car, adjusted his sunglasses, and opened the back door for his niece. Madison hopped out, steadied her own sunglasses in perfect imitation of her uncle, and slipped her hand into his.

Alexx was waiting for them at the door with a smile. She greeted them both with a brief hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Are you enjoying your visit with your uncle?" she asked Madison warmly.

Madison grinned and bobbed her head. "Yep!" she told Alexx. "We went to the beach and on a boat and I got to see a dolphin. And today we went for pancakes."

Alexx chuckled and led them inside. "That's good," she said. They walked through the house and out to the lanai. "I was hoping you would have a good time."

"I'm sure you were, Alexx," Horatio said. She flashed him a grin.

They stepped outside. Eric and Dennis were sitting at the table, each with a beer. Dennis stood up to shake Horatio's hand.

"Good to see you again," he greeted. "Can I get you a drink?"

Horatio smiled in return. "I'll have a beer, too."

Dennis stepped over to the small outside refrigerator. Alexx had gone to the side of the lanai and called to the two children playing on the swingset. "Janie, Bryan, I want you to come meet Madison!"

"Where's Calleigh?" Horatio asked, taking a seat next to Eric.

Eric waved his beer bottle toward the sliding glass doors. "In the kitchen, helping Alexx," he said.

Janie and Bryan ran across the backyard to the lanai door, where Alexx introduced Madison. The little girl looked at the two older kids shyly until Janie took her hand.

"Why don't you take Madison to meet Lizzie?" Alexx suggested.

Janie nodded and looked down to Madison. "You wanna see our cat?"

Madison grinned brightly and bobbed her head. The two girls ran into the house. With a wry glance at his mother, Bryan followed, muttering, "Girls and cats."

"Alexx says you've had your niece all week," Dennis said, handing Horatio the beer. "How've you been holding up?"

Horatio accepted the bottle and took a long drink before answering. "I have a new appreciation for my mother as a single parent," he told Dennis. "Madison is a handful on her own and Mom had two boys."

Dennis took his seat and grinned at Horatio. "I don't know what I'd do without Alexx," he said. "That woman works wonders with our kids."

"Not just kids," Eric chimed in. He stood up. "I'm going to go check on Cal. It can't take that long to fix a salad." He left the lanai.

Dennis watched him go and shook his head. "Are they dancing around each other again?"

Horatio took another sip and nodded. "Yep," he said. "Although I think this time they might actually make a go of it."

Dennis sat back. "Well, good." He checked his watch. "We're having ribs. I guess I should check with Alexx and get those started."

Alexx stepped through the door just then, carrying a tray with meat on it. Dennis moved quickly to help her through the door and laid a kiss on her check as he took the tray over to the gas grill. Callie and Eric followed her; Callie carrying her drink and Alexx's.

"Hey, Handsome," Callie greeted Horatio with a smile. "Nice to see you again."

Horatio chuckled. "I'm making up for lost time," he told her.

"I know," she said, "a whole three days away from the lab. I think that must be a first."

"He needed it," Alexx answered, returning from the grill, cutting off any retort Horatio would have attempted. Dennis was busy lighting and scraping the grill for dinner. "And what's this about a dolphin saving Madison yesterday? She's telling Janie about your boat trip."

Horatio groaned. He had hoped to avoid recapping that particular adventure. He was spared momentarily by the door sliding open again. Janie and Madison came through, carrying a calico cat. The cat did not seem at all pleased by the arrangement, as she was squirming in Janie's arms. Most likely because the girls had dressed the cat in doll clothes.

Janie was giggling along with Madison. "Mom!" she called. "Lizzie's dressed for dinner!"

Alexx looked the girls over and took pity on the cat. "Jane Marie, you get poor Lizzie out of those clothes. And get your brother and Madison ready for dinner."

Janie rolled her eyes and said, "Yes, Mom" before leading Madison back into the house. Callie let out a small giggle when the door shut.

"And you," she turned to Callie, "don't encourage her."

"Yes, Mom," Callie repeated but her eyes danced merrily.

Alexx knocked Eric's feet from the table. "That's right, baby," she said. "You could do with a little more mothering."

"I have a mom," Eric informed Alexx.

Alexx appraised him with her eyes. "And what does she have to say about this?"

"Que debo parar el ser un asno y tomar la oportunidad me ha dado de el Dios.," he muttered into his drink.

"Si," Alexx snapped. "Eso correcto. Escuches tu madre." She turned on Callie with an equal look. "Y tu, tambien."

With that, she opened the door and headed back to the kitchen.

Horatio watched the exchange with amusement. "And…what did you do now?" he had to ask.

Eric and Calleigh exchanged glances. Horatio waited patiently. Spanish from Alexx usually meant there was a good story behind it.

"We were late getting back to CSI," Calleigh admitted finally.

Eric abruptly stood up. "I'm going to see if Dennis needs any help." He quickly left the table.

"I'm going to check on the kids," Calleigh said, also leaving the table and heading into the house.

Horatio watched them go and stared at the empty table for a moment. "Glad we could have this conversation," he said to himself. He set down his beer and went to find Alexx.

Alexx was in the kitchen, taking plates out of the cupboard. She had an amused look on her face, which Horatio took to be a good thing after the outburst of Spanish and the advise to listen to one's mother. He stepped behind her, easily reaching up to the top shelf where Alexx had been stretching.

"Thank you, sugar," she said, taking the plates from him. She set them on the counter while he reached back up for salad bowls. "Now, what did you say to Eric this morning? He spent an hour down in autopsy doing everything possible to not talk about Calleigh."

Horatio reached next for drinking glasses. "Eric, ah, Eric mentioned he might like to have children," Horatio said softly, so they wouldn't be overheard. "I told him not to wait too long before talking with Calleigh."

Alexx let out a long sigh. "That explains it." She took two glasses to the refrigerator and added ice to them. She looked over her shoulder at Horatio. "Now, about Madison."

Horatio's shoulders slumped slightly. He handed Alexx two more glasses for ice.

"What happened yesterday?" she asked. "Because it sounds too fantastic that she was saved by a dolphin."

"Madison fell off the boat," Horatio said, not quite meeting Alexx's eyes. "I fell in after her when I tried to grab her. She was excited to see a real dolphin and we both lost our footing."

Alexx turned around and set the glasses on the countertop. "You fell in Biscayne Bay?"

"Yep," he admitted.

Alexx laughed. The image of a bedraggled Horatio Caine was too much; she leaned back against the counter and worked to catch her breath.

"It's not that funny," he told her, trying not to sound like a whining child.

"Oh," she waved her hand, trying to stop the giggles, "yes, it is."

He shifted his eyes from the floor to his friend. "Alexx –"

She hiccupped and quelled her giggles. "Right, right," she murmured and started to add ice again to the glasses. Another giggle escaped as her shoulders shook in amusement. "So, you're in the water?"

"We're in the water," he continued, ignoring her amusement. "And I can't see her, until the dolphin swims by. It – may – have pushed her toward me. I grabbed her and the tour guide pulled us back on the boat. End of story."

Alexx suppressed another bout of giggles while taking napkins from the pantry. "I see," she said. She filled one of the glasses with water and took a long drink. "Well, other than that fishing expedition, how has the week been for the two of you? Is she doing better?"

Horatio wished he had his sunglasses to play with. He settled, instead, for the dishtowel by the sink. "I think so," he told her. "She, uh, Madison wants to spend some weekends with me. She thinks I'm fun."

Alexx smiled and squeezed his arm. "Horatio, that's a good thing," she told him. "She needs a father-figure in her life. That's very important for little girls. And you," she took the towel from him, "need her in your life. I swear, honey, every time you talk about Madison, you show how much you need this child. She brings out your better angels."

Horatio met Alexx's eyes with his, a small smile on his lips. "Madison is like having my own daughter," he said softly.

Alexx studied Horatio intently for a moment and then placed a small kiss to his cheek. "I know, sugar," she replied. "Now, tell me what you've learned this week."

Horatio thought a moment, unsure what Alexx was asking. It had been an unexpected week, one that differed greatly from what he had originally planned when he agreed to watch Madison while Suzie was away from training.

Horatio nodded to himself. "Shells sink, dreams float," he finally answered. Then he added, "And keep one hand on the small child at all times."

Alexx started to laugh again.

_MttS_

They had just finished dinner when the whispering at the kids' table started. Dennis glanced across the two tables to make sure they were not causing trouble and saw Madison whispering into Janie's ear. Janie was nodding and grinning, then leaned over to Bryan's ear and whispered something. Bryan excused himself from the table and went into the house.

Calleigh stood up with Alexx and the women started to clear the table for dessert. Bryan returned with a small bug house and showed it to Madison, who grinned broadly. The three kids left their table and headed to the adult table, where they stood at Eric's elbow.

"Mr. Delko," Bryan said, holding out the "house." "Madison said you helped her catch a gecko on Tuesday. Can you catch one for us now?"

Eric looked from Bryan to Madison, who was grinning and twisting her hair. "I, uhm –"

"Bryan," Dennis said, "I don't think you need Mr. Delko's help to catch a gecko."

"Please," Madison pleaded, turning big blue eyes on Eric. "You're really good. Miss Calleigh said they taught you how to catch geckos in police school."

"Madison," Horatio attempted to intervene.

Eric shook his head and shot a glare through the glass doors, where Calleigh was cutting the pie for dessert. "Yeah, okay," he said. "We get one gecko and then have dessert."

Madison cheered and Janie grinned. Bryan handed Eric the "house." He left the table and followed the kids out the lanai door, with a parting shot over his shoulder to Horatio and Dennis. "Tell Calleigh I deserve an extra slice for this," he called.

After he left, the door slid open again and Alexx stepped through, carrying coffee cups and a fresh pot of coffee. "Where are the kids?" she asked, pouring coffee for Horatio and Dennis.

"It seems, Eric has been called on another gecko hunt," Horatio told her.

Alexx looked from him to Dennis. Her husband shrugged.

"Uh-huh," she said. "You didn't tell the kids there was pie for dessert, did you?'

"There didn't seem to be a need," Dennis replied innocently.

"You are still not getting a second piece, mister," she informed him and opened the door for Calleigh.

Calleigh stepped through, carrying four dessert plates with pecan pie and whipped cream. She set them down and noted Eric's absence.

"Oh good," she said. "More for us."

They were halfway through their dessert, and Horatio was savoring the Woods' choice in coffee, when they heard Bryan shouting, "Get him! Get him!" The adults all stood up quickly, in time to see Eric jump across the lawn, loose his balance and instead do a belly-flop behind the lanai screen. He emitted a pained moan from the ground.

"Oh Lord," Calleigh said and rolled her eyes. She sat back down and turned to Horatio. "Would you like another piece, Handsome?" she asked as though nothing had happened.

He chuckled and handed her his plate. "That would good," he said.

Alexx went to inspect the damage to Eric's knees and suggested the kids go swimming.

_MttS_

Madison was asleep, arms tightly wrapped around her bunny. Horatio checked on her for the third time that night and headed to his office. After a minute on the Google search engine, he clicked the link for the University of Miami. After a couple of minutes he found his way to the School of Communications and the advertising program pages.

Horatio printed out several pages from the website and looked them over thoughtfully before tucking them into a manila folder.

_Dreams float_, he thought to himself.


	13. Saturday

_Disclaimer: _CSI: Miami_, its characters, scenes, dialogue and other assorted, recognizable pieces do not belong to me, nor me to them. Also, I do not live in Miami but hope to someday be able to change that, even though my bestfriend, CharlotteB, keeps reminding that he isn't really there._

_A/N: This is it. Our ride is over. Thank you so very much for coming along with Madison and me. Your comments have been an encouragement throughout this story and I treasure the conversation we've had. I hope to write more about Madison and Uncle Horatio sometime, but I need a little bit of a rest before visiting with them again. I am so glad you have enjoyed this story._

"When's Mommy coming home?" Madison asked. She was following Horatio's footsteps as he cleaned up their breakfast dishes.

Horatio glanced at his watch. "Ten minutes sooner than the last time you asked," he told her. "Did you have a good time playing with Janie?"

Madison bobbed her head. "Can I play with her again?"

Horatio smiled and nodded. "I think so," he told her, putting the last plate in the dishwasher. "Why, uhm, why don't you go get your hairbrush and hair ties? I'll put your hair in braids for you, so you'll look neat when Mommy comes."

"Okay," she said brightly and skipped to her bedroom. Horatio let out a sigh and was able to take the first full-sized step of the morning. Madison had nearly clung to his side since he came out of his bedroom. He found her in front of his T.V. watching Saturday morning cartoons. When she saw him, she had raced over to his side to give him a morning hug and kiss.

During breakfast, she had started a count-down of "when's Mommy coming home?" asking at least four times while they ate.

The manila folder rested on the high counter at the edge of the kitchen. He didn't need to glance at it, but he did anyway, checking that it was still where he had left it. Horatio had a plan, but, with Suzie's reluctance, he was afraid she might reject his idea.

Horatio expected Suzie at anytime; she had a morning flight and insisted on taking a cab to Horatio's house. He planned to drive them both home rather than have Suzie call for another cab.

Madison returned with the hair brush and ties, bouncing as she walked. Horatio knelt down to her eye level, realizing as he did, that the action had become a new habit. Madison grinned and kissed his cheek.

"I love you," she said simply and handed him her hairbrush.

Horatio picked her up and gently swung the little girl around, landing her feet on one of his kitchen chairs. "I love you, too, Madison," he replied with a smile. Carefully, he brushed out her long red hair and separated strands of it between his fingers.

It took Horatio only a minute to French-braid Madison's hair. She handed him the hair tie and he looped the elastic around the end of the braid. She giggled as he swung her from the chair.

"Go check on Tim," he told her. "I bet he's hungry." Truth was, Horatio had no idea if the gecko was hungry or even what it ate; the bits of lettuce Madison had put in his house were still there.

"Okay," she said, taking back her hairbrush and heading out to the lanai.

Horatio watched her through the glass doors, chattering to the gecko. He carefully kept his eyes from the manila folder. The clock on the wall read five minutes past ten. Suzie's plane had landed about forty-minutes earlier.

Horatio slid on his sunglasses and joined his niece on the lanai. She looked up from talking to Tim and grinned. He smiled in return.

"Well, how is he?" Horatio asked.

Madison made a face, scrunching up the corners of her mouth. "I dunno," she said. "Do you think he wants something else to eat?"

"Maybe," Horatio said slowly, "maybe he just wants to be let go?"

Madison frowned and shook her head. "No," she told him. "Tim likes it here."

Horatio studied the little green lizard, not quite agreeing with Madison. He considered his next option.

The doorbell rang.

"Mommy!" Madison called, her eyes bright with excitement and the gecko forgotten. She ran to the sliding glass door and tugged it open to dart across the livingroom and to the front door.

Taking off the sunglass, and with hands in his pockets, Horatio followed.

Madison had managed to pull open the front door by the time Horatio joined her. Suzie stood on the other side, her blond hair pulled back. She smiled to see her daughter and immediately took Madison in her arms.

"Oh, I missed you, little girl," she said, smoothing Madison's hair and holding her tightly. Horatio stood to the side of the door, watching them.

Suzie released Madison, who continued to hold her hand, unsure how to greet Horatio. He settled the question by offering her a brief hug.

"How was Washington?" he asked. "Did you get to see any of the sights?"

Suzie followed Horatio into the livingroom but did not take a seat. "It was lovely," she told him. "We had two evenings to take tours. They showed us the Lincoln Memorial and took us to the Smithsonian. And the training went really well, the instructor said I was in the top of our group."

"Good, good," Horatio said, sincerely glad it had gone well for her. He turned to Madison. "Sweetheart, why don't you go pack your bag to go home, okay?"

"Okay," she said and let go her mother's hand to skip back to her room.

Horatio opened and closed his mouth twice, fiddling with his sunglass. "Uhm, Suzie," he said at last, "why don't we sit down for a minute."

Suzie's face immediately clouded with worry. She dropped on to the couch, lacing her fingers. "Is everything okay?" she asked. "Is Madison alright?"

"Yep," Horatio said, mentally kicking himself for the ungraceful start. "She's fine. We've had a very good week. In fact," he hesitated, "that's part of what I want to talk about."

Suzie still looked concerned but relieved. Horatio crossed the room to pick up the manila folder with the print-outs. He handed it to Suzie and sat down on the other end of the couch. She glanced at him and then opened it.

"I've been thinking," he said, folding his hands and not quite looking at her, "about what you once said. About finishing your degree in advertising."

Suzie looked up, her face an odd mix of emotions. "Horatio – I'm not able to right now –"

He pulled out one of the forms, which showed scholarships for working parents. "I think, you could," he said. "And I'll be here to help."

Suzie took a deep breath and closed the folder. "You've already done so much, I can't ask for more," she told him. "Besides, I can't afford more daycare for Madison, especially since she's starting school this August."

Horatio nodded. "That is what else I'd like to talk about," he said. "Would you be able to start this semester if I watched Madison while you were at class and had her for a couple of weekends each month?"

Suzie took a deep breath without exhaling. She opened the folder again, leafing through the sheets of paper and pausing at the course descriptions.

"I enjoyed having Madison for the week," Horatio said softly. "I'd like to spend more time with her, and with you. I thought, maybe, this would benefit all of us. With a degree you could move higher up at the Agrimont or start a career with a firm in Miami. It will put you firmly on your feet in the long run."

Suzie considered what he said, letting her breath out slowly. She looked up to meet his eyes.

"And you don't mind taking care of Madison while I do this?" she asked, meeting his eyes.

Horatio smiled at Suzie. "Nothing makes me happier," he told her.

Suzie bit her lip then nodded. "Okay," she said. As she did, she seemed suddenly lighter. "Okay," she repeated and impulsively hugged Horatio. "I'll do it. Oh, Horatio, I've wanted to go back to school for a long time, but it just didn't seem possible."

Horatio patted Suzie's back, surprised by the depth of her emotion. "You and Madison are my family," he told her again. "I want this for you. And for us."

Suzie let go of him and gripped the folder tightly. "Will you come with me Monday to register?" she asked.

Horatio grinned. "How about – how about I pick you up at three? We can get Madison after we're done at the university and have dinner together."

"That would be great," Suzie said. A shadow crossed her expression. "You're sure about this?" she checked.

"I am," he said.

Suzie nodded. "And we can work out a schedule with my classes and when you'll have Madison?"

"Whatever works best," he told her. "I am happy to have her here while you do your school work."

Madison came from her room, dragging her overnight bag and backpack. She saw her mother and uncle sitting on the couch and grinned, dropping both bags. She dashed across the room to take a seat between them.

"Guess what, little girl," Suzie said, kissing the top of Madison's head. "How would you like to spend more time with your Uncle Horatio? Get to see him during the week and then spend some weekends with him?"

"Yeah!" Madison cheered. She kissed her mother's cheek and then turned and kissed Horatio's. "I love Uncle Horatio, he's funny," she told Suzie. "Did he show you my gecko? Mr. Eric caught him for me. His name is Tim."

Horatio rolled his eyes. Suzie gave Madison her hand. "I would love to see Tim."

Madison took Suzie out to the lanai. Pushing her hair behind her ear, Suzie leaned over to get a better look. Horatio watched them; the pain in his chest loosed and for the first time that day he felt like he could breath again. Suzie had said yes to his plan.

"Can I take him home, Mommy?" Madison asked, picking the house up by its handle.

Suzie shot a glance at Horatio. "No," she said firmly. "I don't think your gecko would be happy in out apartment."

"But Mommy –" Madison whined, shocked that Tim could go with her.

"Why don't you leave him with your uncle?" Suzie said smoothly. "That way you'll get to see Tim when you come here."

Madison chewed her lip thoughtfully. "Okay," she said at last.

_The gecko is staying here?_ some part of Horatio's mind protested. Instead, he smiled tightly and nodded. _How am I supposed to keep a gecko alive?_

"Tim will be safe here," he told her.

Suzie stood back up and nodded to Horatio. "I guess we should be going," she said.

"Let me drive you," Horatio offered. "We can talk about your studies on the way."

Madison ran over to Horatio, who stooped down to meet her. Madison hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek again. He closed his eyes when she did and silently thanked God for this little girl and the twists that had brought her into his life.

_MttS_

It was past mid-afternoon when Horatio returned to his house. Suzie and he had spent an hour filling out her re-application to the University of Miami and picking out courses she would need to get started. He figured, part-time, she would finish her bachelor's degree in three years. She had been a student at UM before "meeting Tina" and so her transcripts and records were still there. He was proud of her, how she had turned her life around in the three years he had known her. She had gone from the scared, almost-teenaged, girl he had found under a doghouse to a young woman who was ready for the uphill battles she faced. Horatio was glad to be there with her, to see her recovery from drug addiction and help her take control of her life once more.

Whatever mistakes Raymond had made, Horatio silently admitted he was glad for this one. His brother's actions as a dirty cop had brought Suzie and Madison into his life. There was never anyone as important to him as his family.

Horatio pour a glass of ice tea and carried it and the phone out to the lanai. As he dialed, he thought of Madison. Tim splayed tiny green toes against the plastic of the house.

"Well, my friend," he said to the gecko, "we seemed to do pretty good this week."

The phone line rang and a woman answered.

"Hello, Katie?" he said. "Uhm, this is Horatio Caine, we met at Anthony's Pizzeria on Monday. I, uh, I was wondering what you were doing for dinner tonight?"

_**Delaney Talks To Statues **  
Delaney talks to statues  
As she dances 'round the pool  
She chases cats through roman ruins  
And stomps on big toadstools  
She speaks a language all her own  
That I cannot discover  
But she knows I love her so  
When I tuck her 'neath the covers _

_Father, daughter  
Down by the water  
Shells sink, dreams float  
Life's good on our boat _

-- Jimmy Buffett, Mac McAnally, Amy Lee


End file.
